


Not So Perfect

by Geek_gettin_Bi101



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Abused Rin, Abusive Yukio, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, BAMF Ryuji, BAMF Torako, Badass Torako Suguro, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Demon!Ryuji, Egyptian Magic, Egyptian Mythology present, Emotionally constipated characters, Fluff, He's not who he seems, Honestly the whole thing is mythological, Hurt Ryuji, I don't like him anyway, I'm not fucking kidding, Izumo and Ryuji fight a lot, Kinda crack but who cares?, M/M, Mates, Mephisto is an annoying clown, Minor Character Death, Multilingual Characters, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Mythological Aspects, Nightmares, OC characters, OOC at some point, Phoenix!Ryuji, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Prince Ryuji, Protective Ryuji, Rin is catching on, Ryuji Suguro has panic attacks, Ryuji has a sister, Ryuji is a Dork, Ryuji is kinda oblivious, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, She's basically a babysitter, Shit ton of different languages, Shura is done, Slight OOC, Slow Burn, Strong Female Characters, Suguro Ryuji centric, Suspicious Shura, Temporary Character Death, This plot is complete crap so bare with me, Trigger Warnings, Why Did I Write This?, Wings, because why not?, is that even a thing?, just FYI, magic in general, slightly possessive Behavior, this is complete crap, traumatic past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:07:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 81,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22163800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geek_gettin_Bi101/pseuds/Geek_gettin_Bi101
Summary: This is complete trash so bare with me. This is me experimenting with a plot for a book I'm writing. If there are any changes you think I should make to better the story, please feel free to comment some suggestions.What would they think if they knew the truth? They would kill him for sure. The days of them being accepted by mortals have long since been over. They thought of him as the perfect son, the heir to a temple. But they didn't know, and he hoped they never would. Because if they feared Satan, then they would be terrified of him.Edit: Yo, why didn’t any one you tell me I spelled the title wrong? I feel like an idiot🤦🏽Another edit: I'm going through and editing the chapters and making them more "readable" also, this will be updating slowly because I just started my first year of college and am working very hard. Plz forgive me!
Relationships: Okumura Rin/Suguro "Bon" Ryuuji, Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Comments: 130
Kudos: 237





	1. Secret of the Perfect Boy

There were many things about Bon that others didn’t know, and he was all right with that. They saw him as the next in line to lead Myoo Dharani, the boy who passed his classes with flying colors. Perfect, exactly how the future head monk should be. But they didn’t know,  _ couldn’t _ know. Only those few special people: Shima Yaozo, Hojo Uwabami, his own father, and finally his mother, the one who made him keep the secret to begin with. 

When he was younger, he always wondered what the problem was. They weren’t bad people, so why did they have to hide? His mother would always tell him the same thing, “The world isn’t ready for us, not like it was so long ago.”

See, Bon wasn’t exactly normal. Sure, he looked it, but that was only when he was in public. He had learned to use a glamor to mold his wings into his body as well as stuff his tail in his shirt or down his pants. He learned to shrink his long feathered ears and make his eyes more human. He was taught to hide  _ everything _ , and he hated it. But it was also necessary to blend in and survive. 

But not just for him to survive, for his  _ kind,  _ his  _ people _ to survive.

Ryuji was a Phoenix, a creature that had been around for thousands of years. But, to the world, he was just another demon that needed exorcising. At least he would be if the world found out, and he would make damn sure they never did. 

Currently, the boy was pacing in the hall. Back and forth, thinking about how he’d be leaving for True Cross Academy in the morning to begin his studies as an exorcist so he could reach his dream and defeat Satan. His messy brown hair stuck up at gravity defying angles after hours of tossing and turning restlessly, sleep failing him as it so often did in the past few years.

He’d be so far away from his mother, the only one like him in the place he lived. His best friends, Shima and Konekomaru, didn’t know. As far as they were concerned, just like every other exorcist, Phoenix like him didn’t even exist. Sure, there was Karura and Fenghuang, but they weren’t pure Phoenix as he was.

Bon was mumbling to himself, bare feet padding against the wooden floors of his mother’s inn. He was jittery with nerves, his hands twitching as his claws unsheathing and retracting as his adrenaline spiked. Though he was the only one up at this hour, aside from his father who was at the temple or bar as always, having any part of his Phoenix traits out unless it was behind locked doors made him nervous. Even just the easy to hide claws on his fingertips.

“Ryuji?” The boy squawked and whirled around, retracting with a snap as he brought his hands to his chest. He had been so focused on his thoughts that he had failed to hear his mother approach, “Can’t sleep?” The woman’s brown eyes swam with worry towards her son.

Ryuji nodded slowly, arms lowering to his side as he let his mother pull him close in a tight hug, “My beautiful baby boy, you’ll do wonderfully. I know it!”

Ryuji’s lips twitched slightly as the boy buried his head against his mother’s shoulder, although he was a little more than a head taller than her, “Thanks, Mom.”

Torako pulled away, her brown eyes shone with mirth, “Now, because I won’t see you until your summer break, why don’t I brush out your wings?  _ Rā  _ knows you suck at remembering to do it yourself!” She joked, smiling brightly as her elbow poked against his side.

Ryuji’s human ears flared red, “Mom!” 

The older woman chuckled, dragging her son to his room, pushing him onto one of his mats before grabbing his brush from the desk, “Wings,” She ordered. Bon sighed and pulled his shirt up so as not to rip it. Huge multi-hued orange wings spread from his back; not opening too wide so as to prevent objects littering the room from being knocked over or destroyed.

Torako hummed happily and pulled one of the feathery appendages into her lap and ran the soft bristles through the feathers. Ryuji sighed, his tail spiraling out from around his torso and lying on the floor, flicking every so often. This was something they would do together, sometimes preening their wings when it was needed. They would sit together, laying feathers flat and pulling ones with cracked quills, talking about everything and nothing as the minutes ticked by. This was something he only shared with his mother, these special moments neither Shima nor Koneko had seen, and probably never will. 

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” 

Ryuji looked down at his lap, fingers fidgeting slightly. His claws were itching to extend from his fingers without doing anything. The boy sighed, shoulders moving closer to his ears as he curled in on himself, “Not really. I’ve never been that far away from you for more than a day unless we’re in the Nome. And I won’t be able to turn unless I find a hidden spot.” 

To any normal person, they were probably happy to fly the coop and be out of their parents’ hair. But it was different for a Phoenix, they had pack bonds with their family and close friends. His mother and him had one of the strongest bonds compared to him and anyone else, which was normal for mothers and their children.

“You’ll be great, sweetie,” His mother whispered gently, running a hand through his messy hair, “You’ll be back for summer break before you know it. We can go for a nice long fly when that happens and go back to the Nome for a little bit. How does that sound?”

“Great. It sounds great, Mom,” Ryuji smiled, his sharp canine teeth peeking through his lips.

His mother cackled as if remembering something funny, “So, are you gonna bring back a cute boy for me to meet?”

“Mom!” Bon exclaimed, whirling around to glare at his mother. Torako laughed loudly at the way her son’s wings and furry tail had puffed up defensively.

Torako ruffled Ryuji’s hair good-naturally, “Hey, you never know! You could meet the boy you are destined to be with!”

Bon snorted, turning his back on his mother and resting his chin in his hand, “That’s a load of bull,” Torako raised a brow, a smirk tugging at her lips, “I’ll deal with love after I graduate.”

“You won’t be saying that when you fall in love.”

“ _ If _ , and that’s a very big if.”

“Of course, sweetie. Whatever you say,” Bon could hear the sarcasm dripping off her tongue but elected to ignore it. 

* * *

The next day, Ryuji was a bundle of nerves as he walked to the bus stop beside his lifelong friends Shima and Konekomaru. His Phoenix attributes were securely tucked away from any wandering eyes, a duffel bag held at his side stuffed with books, clothes, and anything else he might need during his stay at True Cross. 

He’d left all of his magical stuff in his room, aside from his amulet which never left his person. His mother would not be happy about it but he didn’t want to bring anything and risk it being found and having to lie about what it was. Or worse, that he’d need to  _ use _ anything.

Ryuji’s mother had been close to tears when they had been ready to leave, hugging him tightly as she whispered encouraging words to him. Ryuji had rolled his eyes good naturally but hugged her anyway, “Stay safe,” Torako whispered, gently nudging him towards his friends, waving from the door as they walked down the stone laden street.

Ryuji ran his tongue over his teeth, scowling at the ground in the way he did when he was deep in thought. Shima cackled, elbowing him in the side, “If you don’t relax you’ll fry your brain before we even get to class!”

The older teen grumbled, turning to the brunette who had already been distracted by a group of girls. Ryuji rolled his eyes, smirking evilly, “Are you sure you’re not going to True Cross for the girls?”

“Bon!” Shima whined, dragging out the syllables. The girls who had been walking their way, the same ones Shima had been winking at, giggled and waved at the trio.

Ryuji sighed and waved back, just trying to be friendly. Shima, instead, whistled and started flirting up a storm. Koneko and Ryuji shared a look before forcibly dragging their friend down the street so they could catch the bus that would bring them to the train station.

“Come on, Shima. You’re a monk,” Konekomaru sighed once they were standing at the bus stop, “You should stop flirting with everything that moves, maybe then a girl would be interested in you.”

“No can do, Neko!” Shima chuckled joyously, “Can you really blame me? All the girls I see are gorgeous!”

The taller brunette rolled his eyes and leaned against the sign that announced the times the bus would be here. Konekomaru continued to scold his friend, pointing an accusing finger at his chest, while the other teased him, poking at the younger boy’s sides while jumping out of the way of the smaller boy’s swinging arms. 

Ryuji allowed his mind to wander now and tune into feelings from other sides of the bonds he shared, his mother’s anxiety was the strongest. He could imagine her pacing while his father or Yaozo tried to calm her. The boy sighed and tried to send feelings of calm to her, to tell her he was all right, that he would  _ be _ alright.

His mother’s emotions slowly started to simmer just as the bus pulled up. Ryuji breathed out and stepped up the stairs, having to call out to his friends who had failed to notice between their lighthearted bickering. 

The Phoenix rolled his eyes, claiming one of the seats in the back. Shima and Konekomaru sat beside him. They had quit their bickering in light of talking excitedly about the Academy, wondering what it would be like.

Ryuji was content to listen to them as he watched his hometown roll by, the place he would not see for multiple months. The monk sighed, tuning out everything possible, even with his crazy enhanced hearing. He didn’t even notice when the bus rolled up to the station until Konekomaru bumped his shoulder, jarring him from his thoughts, “You okay, Bon?”

The boy blinked a few times and nodded, pulling himself up and stepping out of the bus behind his friends.

The train station was packed with people; some waiting for a train or waiting to pick up family or friends. 

Ryuji sighed and stepped into the ticket line. His shoulders were bunched together, fist clenched around the strap of his bag. He hated crowded places. They meant more people, which meant it was more likely something would go wrong and somehow someone would find out and then he’d be sent to the Grigori to be executed and-

“-on? Bon!” The boy in question startled, nearly jumping out of his skin. Shima had a hand on his shoulder, “You alright man?”

Ryuji blinked, forcing a smile and nodding, “Just nervous is all.”

“Nah, I get you. We’ve never been away from home for so long.” 

Ryuji fought the urge to mutter, “Speak for yourself,” instead nodding, turning back to the booth he’d gotten closer to when his anxiety took over. The Phoenix took deep breaths, trying to calm himself enough to focus. He’d been getting so good at reigning in his anxiety and ignoring it. But it always seemed to come back and bite him in the ass. 

Now it was his mother sending soothing feelings his way. Ryuji smiled to himself, albeit quite stiffly. He usually kept his emotions under lock and key so no one could feel them. Otherwise, he’d probably be forced to speak to a shrink or be put in an insane asylum. Ryuji was aware he was being overly dramatic, but he couldn’t help it. That’s something people without anxiety just didn’t  _ get _ .

Ryuji stepped up to the booth, quickly buying three tickets for True Cross Town Station. The cashier, a pretty girl with light brown skin and bright clothes, flashed a dazzling smile and handed over three tickets and a pink sticky note that had her number on it, “Call me?”

Ryuji froze, he had no idea what to do and was standing there gaping like a fish out of water. Shima butted in and cackled gleefully, “My buddy isn’t into girls, but I’d be glad to call you!”

Konekomaru pulled them back, apologizing to the girl and swiping the tickets up before darting to the platform. The bald monk sighed, “Hopeless, the both of you!”

“It’s not my fault,” Ryuji growled, arms crossed, “I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to upset her and turn her down but I didn’t want to accept because I would never call her,” Shima pouted, going on about how unfair it was that Bon, who wasn’t interested, got all the girls. Beneath his shirt, the demon’s three-stalked tail twitched in annoyance. The boy paused slightly and prayed no one had seen, or if they did, didn’t give two shits and brushed it off. 

Ryuji shook his head and glanced over at Shima; the boy was being overly dramatic. Just the usual, Bon thought to himself, a small smile playing at his lips. That’s right, they’d be fine. Maybe thrown in some danger as Exorcists-In-Training, but fine. No one would find out, there was no chance in Hell another demon would be in class with him that could sniff him out just like he could to them. But… he’d still double check, just to be sure. He could not let his secret slip, his  _ mother’s _ secret slip. If that happened, Ryuji didn’t want to know what would be done to them.

* * *

The train ride was uneventful, Ryuji watched as towns and trees flew by in a blur of colors. He couldn’t help but want to crawl out the window, spread his wings and weave between them at mind-numbing speeds. At some point, Shima had pulled out a book. Ryuji didn’t even have to look to know a porno magazine was hidden between the two pages he hadn’t flipped from in almost an hour.

Bon’s brown eyes rolled in his head before stuffing earbuds in his human ears, the boy missed the long feathered ears he possessed when not hiding his true heritage, and drowned out the loud noises around him. Some of those sounds were even hundreds of miles away. 

The truth was, Ryuji had never  _ truly _ felt comfortable in his glamoured body. Sometimes he’d be able to ignore it, but it was rare. He’d find himself moving as if he had his wings out. Compensating for the extra space he took up when he wove between people or stood around. He would feel his human ears flex slightly when a particular sound caught his attention, or the way he’d tilt his head when he listened. He got anxious when he wasn’t in his real body.

Not that the glamoured one wasn’t his, it just didn’t feel like his. Like he wasn’t comfortable in his own skin.

A number of hours passed before the train announced their desired destination, “Now arriving at True Cross Station.”

Shima sighed, stretching his arms above his head, “Finally, that took forever!”

Ryuji stood, sauntering out of the train with his friends close behind, “I didn’t see you complaining,” He teased, a coy smile stretching across his face as he avoided a swipe for Shima’s hand from behind. He knew Shima had been filling his time with those magazines both on and off the train, and he  _ really _ didn’t want to know what his friend did with them when he was alone.

The monk shuddered, trying to shake away the thought and instead distract himself by looking around the town. They had a small walk to reach the school and the dorms they would be staying in for their entire stay here. Students and regular citizens alike milled around the streets and shops, some talking with friends while others rushed around to get somewhere on time. 

Suguro’s head was spinning. This town was so large, shops with anything you could imagine littered the streets. The boy’s mouth hung open slightly, he knew True Cross was a place for rich kids but Jesus the town  _ alone _ was freaking huge!

Shima tapped Bon’s shoulder excitedly, he seemed to bounce on the balls of his feet, “Let’s drop our stuff at the dorms and look around!”

Bon nodded, still slightly dazed by the sheer size of this place, “Yeah, we can check out the school tomorrow.”

Shima whooped and skipped to the Student Center where they could find any information they needed. Surprisingly, not many students were waiting in line. Some had probably come days ago to set everything up. Ryuji stepped up to one of the men, noticing an exorcist badge pinned to his lapel, “Name?”

“Suguro Ryuji,” He said, hands gripping the strap of his bag. The man was eyeing him curiously, and for a second, Bon worried he  _ knew _ . He’d always been wary around exorcists he didn’t know, even some he did,  _ especially  _ the ones at the temple. But could you blame him? He was labeled as a demon after all.

The man nodded, “You’re in dorm 254, the building is right over there,” He was quick to fish something out of a small box and hand it to the boy. Bon inspected the object, an old fashioned key, curiously. He’d seen a few around the inn but never thought he’d get one himself, “You know what that is?”

“Yes.”

The man nodded, seemingly thankful he didn’t have to explain, “Use that when going to your cram class.”

Bon blinked before nodding and stepping to the side so Shima and Konekomaru could go through the same process. They each received their own key for their class, each looking practically identical. Bon carefully slipped it into his pocket before walking to the building the man gestured to, trying to calm his racing heart.

Though it should have been obvious, Bon had not thought about the obvious fact of being  _ surrounded _ by exorcists. Exorcists that, if they found out, would gladly kill him without a second thought. Sure, many of the monks at the temple were exorcists, but he knew them. And he wasn’t the only one that knew. But now, he was utterly alone, despite the fact that he had his childhood friends with him. The same friends that would likely turn on him if they found out. Yes, he thought they would no matter how much they cared for him at this moment.

Ryuji walked along the hall of the second floor, muttering his room number to himself. When he came across it, the door was opened. Shima whistled, “Damn! I think we’re all in the same dorm!”

Bon blinked before smiling slightly, at least he was sharing a room with people he knew. Shima skipped past, “I call top bunk!” He shouted gleefully, tossing his bag on one of the top bunks. Konekomaru rolled his eyes, smiling gently, and claimed the bed beneath Shima’s.

Bon placed his stuff on the bottom bunk across from his friends, “We should probably look around before it gets too dark. We  _ do _ have class tomorrow,” He murmured, looking out the window at the busy city.

“Hell yeah!” Shima jumped up and looped his arms over Konekomaru and Bon’s shoulders, pushing them out the door, “Do you think they have a hair salon? I want to get my hair dyed.”

“You’re dad is going to kill you,” Konekomaru whined, knowing the monk would complain once his father saw what Shima was planning to do.

“Come on, Neko, you only live once!” 

Ryuji chuckled, “Yeah, and your father is going to make that ‘once’ very short.”

Shima either didn’t hear or didn’t care, finding a guide to True Cross Town and skimming through for the place he was looking for. Bon ran his tongue over his teeth, mulling over a thought he’d been pondering on the train. There was something Phoenix did in the olden days, the days in Ancient Egypt when they didn’t have to hide. Phoenix, as a symbol of strength and unity, would wear a streak of flames down the middle of their head. Now, obviously, he couldn’t do that, but what about something similar?

Bon nodded to himself and followed Shima who was walking around as if he knew the place. The monk rolled his eyes, pushing his slightly curled hair out of his face. Shima eventually found where he wanted to go and pushed open the glass door, a soft chime sounded above them. 

The monk winced and rubbed at his ears. Maybe he should do what he did at the temple and put in the mini noise cancelling earbuds Torako and he had bought after everyday noises became too loud. Their hearing was good enough to hear through it, probably as good as a regular demon, but didn’t overwhelm them as much. Sometimes he hated the acute senses of a Phoenix, ones that overruled a traditional demon’s easily.

Shima was talking enthusiastically with a hairdresser who had approached them. The woman nodded as she listened to what the boy was thinking about. 

The woman had fiery red hair, which had obviously been dyed, held in a half-bun on the back of her head. Her brown eyes looked past Shima to the other two, “Would you like anything, dears?”

Konekomaru immediately shook his head, but Bon shrugged, “Sure, why not?”

Shima gaped at him, “Holy shit, I think I rubbed off on him.”

The woman chuckled and waved Shima over to a chair, “Let me start on soon-to-be-Pinky, here then I’ll help you.”

Bon nodded and walked past her to the waiting chairs, both the woman and him promptly froze and looked at each other. He could smell it, the distinct scent of a Phoenix, and the woman could, too.


	2. The Start of Something New

Ryuji watched the woman in surprise before quirking his brow and releasing the glamour on his eyes, flashing them amber, for a split second before continuing to a seat. The woman, the  _ Phoenix _ , returned the greeting and pulled Shima to a chair. Konekomaru and Shima traded glances that perfectly portrayed the look of what-the-Hell-just-happened? Konekomaru shuffled over to the seat beside Bon and sat uneasily, “Bon, why did you freeze?”

The boy paused, realizing that if they had been looking close enough, they would have seen their eyes flash gold for that second. Bon shrugged nonchalantly, “Nothing important, I thought I saw something.”

The shorter boy nodded hesitantly and looked over at Shima who was currently getting his hair bleached. The woman smiled, “By the way, my name is Etsuko. So, are you boys here visiting family?”

Shima smiled brightly, obviously trying to charm her, “Actually, we’re attending True Cross Academy!”

Etsuko whistled, obviously impressed, “You three must be really smart to get into that school.”

“Actually,” Konekomaru chuckled nervously, “Bon here is probably smarter than us.”

Bon rolled his eyes, “Not true, you passed the exam with flying colors.”

“You got over a hundred percent by some miracle,” Shima deadpanned before turning his attention back to Etsuko, “My name is Shima, that’s Konekomaru.”

“Nice to meet you,” She said kindly, a small smile on her face, “You guys are real early, class doesn’t start for another week!”

“We’re in a… special class,” Ryuji hesitated, wondering if she knew about the cram class, which was highly likely considering her heritage, “It starts tomorrow.”

Etsuko chuckled, her gloved hands guiding a brush over Shima’s brunette hair. She hummed, a smirk spreading across her face. Bon knew exactly what she was thinking, how a Phoenix, a  _ demon _ , like him could be going to a school for exorcists, “Well, I hope you three do well. I’ve heard the Academy is tough as hell, many people drop out before their first year.”

“Seriously?” Shima’s jaw dropped.

Konekomaru nodded, “I’m not surprised, it is a prestigious school. But why would you drop out? It’s so expensive to go there and you’d be wasting money.”

Bon huffed, foot tapping on the floor. He was kind of excited to be here, but that didn’t stop the itch of apprehension at being  _ surrounded _ by exorcists who would love to kill him if he slipped up even the smallest bit. The boy worried at his lip, the voices around him tuning out and amplifying his own thoughts. He even failed to notice when Etsuko called him over to a chair while Shima waited for his hair to set.

The woman narrowed her eyes at him before smacking his nose with a clean brush, “Yo, your turn.”

Bon shook himself out of his stupor, pulling himself from the chair before sitting in the one beside Shima. The soon-to-be Pinkett was scrolling through his phone, a slight blush on his face. Etsuko gave him a disapproving look before rolling her hickory brown eyes.

“So, tell me what you want, man,” Etsuko flicked a black towel over his shoulders.

Bon pursed his lips, “Don’t laugh.”

* * *

Bon ran his fingers through his hair, a feeling of pride welling in his chest. When Shima had seen the blond streak down the center of his head, the boy had laughed and teased him about looking like a chicken. The monk had retaliated by telling the boy at least he didn’t look like a freaking raspberry.

Konekomaru had actually admitted to liking both their new styles, saying it went well with their personalities. Bon had calmed at that, he had been worried if it would look stupid. When he had told Etsuko, the woman smiled brightly, saying it was, “Good to see people adapting to keep our old customs.”

Now that their hair was finished, Shima was looking back down at the map, a look of fixed concentration on his face. Suguro glanced down at Konekomaru before smirking and patting his perverted friend’s back, “Don’t think too hard, you’ll hurt yourself.”

Shima whipped around and smacked Bon on the head playfully and went back to searching the map, “What are you looking for, Shima?” Konekomaru stood on his toes and peeked over his shoulder.

“No can do little man. It’s a secret!” The Pinkett grinned brightly and skipped ahead. Bon rolled his eyes and palmed the business card Etsuko had given him that was tucked away safely in his pocket. The other Phoenix had slipped it to him, saying that it wasn’t every day you saw another Phoenix unless it’s important. When they had been ready to leave, she had pulled him aside.

“You’re far away from your mother, aren’t ya kid?” Etsuko crossed her arms, a worried knot forming between her brows. Bon nodded slowly, hand rubbing at the back of his neck. Etsuko’s tongue ran over her sharp teeth, “Your mother’s Torako, right?” Another nod, “Thought so. Figures I meet the Prince of all Phoenix and a male, no less, in one day. You better not bring True Cross trouble.”

Bon had chuckled lowly, “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Listen kid, if you ever need someone to talk to, just give me a call,” Etsuko had handed him a small business card she fished from her pocket. Bon took it gratefully and turned to walk away, “See you ‘round, kid.”

Their eyes flashed in a farewell before Ryuji left with his friends. 

Phoenix were such a rare species that it was uncommon to come across one on a day-to-day basis. There were less than a thousand in the entire world. Only about twenty, if that, lived in Japan. Ryuji, Torako, and Etsuko included. Not only that, but it was even more rare for there to be a male Phoenix, so he understood the exasperation Etsuko had felt. Only about three Phoenix were male in the entire Phoenix population of the world. 

Ryuji chuckled, starting to feel bad for Etsuko. On top of being a male Phoenix, his mother was the fucking king. Yes, king; they didn’t do any of that gender role shit here. Which made Bon the prince. 

The monk sighed and jogged to catch up with his friends, he hadn’t realized he’d slowed to a stop in his thoughts. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, retracting into his head. It wasn’t always a great place to stay, especially when his anxieties kicked down the door and reigned total destruction. 

Shima whooped loudly, waving the guide in the air, “Found it!” The Pinkett was standing proudly in front of a tattoo and piercing parlor. 

Konekomaru blinked, “Shima, why are we here?”

Bon had to agree, his head tilting to the side in bewilderment. Shima chuckled devilishly, “Common, Neko. Remember a few months ago when we were all talking about things we would do if we got away from the temple?”

The bald boy nodded slightly, pushing up his thick red glasses as he thought what their friend could possibly be referring to. During that talk, Shima had mentioned how he wanted to dye his hair, “Cause the ladies love dyed hair, Bon!” The latter was pretty sure his extravagant friend had been making that up as a way to justify his actions. Konekomaru hadn’t really wanted to do anything at all, content to stay the way he was. Bon really wished he had his friend’s confidence.

Ryuji had mentioned how getting his ears pierced would be nice. When he was concentrating, he would always fidget with his feathered ears but he couldn’t do that around others. It had always been strange to have normal human ears, though his mom would kill him if she found out.

Dawning spread across the monks face, his lips splitting into a grin. Shima smiled gently and patted his shoulder, “New place, new looks!” The pink-haired boy pulled his friends through the door and pushed Bon to the front counter before collapsing in a chair and smiling, proud of himself.

Ryuji rolled his eyes and turned to the guy at the front desk. His black hair was spiked up and tattoos littered his body as well as a multitude of piercings, “What can I do for you today?” He asked in a cheery tone, something that took Bon completely by surprise. 

The teen blinked before describing the piercings he wanted in both ears. The man nodded, humming slightly, “You don’t have an appointment but I have an hour before the next one so I can squeeze you in.”

Bon nodded and followed the man to a reclined chair. The guy continued to explain some things, mainly about making sure to clean the piercings so they wouldn’t get infected. The guy, he felt bad for calling him that but there was no name-tag he could read off of, grabbed a needle and sat on a chair beside him.

“You ever got a piercing before?” Bon didn’t bother shaking his head due to the needle the man was putting through his ear, but the man seemed to get the jist, “You’re better than most of the newbies. Most freak out.”

“I’m not like most people,” Bon mumbled honestly, remaining quiet the remainder of the time as the man poked holes in his ears and fed simple, silver hoops through the new holes. 

Shima whistled when he stepped back into the lobby after paying and thanking the man kindly, “Damn, Bon! You look bad ass!” Bon chuckled, raising an eyebrow as the excitable teen pulled them from the shop and down the road. The remainder of their time in the city was mostly spent talking and getting to know the place they’d be staying for their time at True Cross. 

By the end of the day, with the trio lugging their feet back to the dorm, they had walked all over town with smiles on their faces. Shima flopped down on Konekomaru’s bed and sighed dreamily, “Did you see that girl? I think she liked me!”

“You didn’t even talk to her,” Konekomaru pursed his lips, pulling his bag onto an empty desk to begin unpacking. Bon followed his lead and tossed clothes into the draws beneath his bed. 

Shima gasped dramatically, “Not true!”

Bon’s phone vibrated in his pocket, his friends were debating the likely hood of the girl being interested in Shima, which was slim to none, so he took this chance to slip from the room and into the hall. The boy tuned out his friends in a way he’d learned to do when he was younger and put the device to his ear, “Hey, Mom,” He murmured, barely above a whisper, only just a breath.

There was squabbling in the background, from the sound of it, Kinzo and Mamushi were the ones doing the shouting. It sounded like nothing important and the sound soon grew distant and the sound of crickets filled his ears instead, “Ryuji!” His mother exclaimed loudly, “I thought you’d forgotten all about me,” The teasing tone lilting off her lips didn’t go unnoticed.

Ryuji rolled his eyes and sat on the floor, his back against the wooden wall and his legs stretched across the tiles, “Yup, totally did,” Bon smirked although his mother couldn’t see it. The boy had never seen her act this way around other people, not even the monks at the temple. The boy had always felt special to be the only one besides his family and the other Phoenix to see his mother’s true colors. When she would joke around and poke fun at Bon. The strength and power in her hands, the way she always lent a hand to the Phoenix the rare times they’d come to her. 

Although they were considered the “Royal Family,” nothing was different. They were treated like friends and never treated as if they were special because of the blood of kings running through their veins. 

“How is the city?” Torako’s voice was light and Ryuji could feel the delight pulsing from the other end of their bond as he told her about their day. His hands waving around even if no one could see. She squeaked in surprise when he told her about Etsuko, leaving out the part of dying his hair and piercing his ears because he  _ knew _ his mother would  _ kill him _ and hide his body if she found out. Yeah, that was kind of stupid on his part. But he had no qualms throwing Shima under the bus and telling his mother how the perverted boy had dyed his hair pink.

“Yaozo is going to kill him,” Bon grimaced as his mother pretty much just summed up what she would do to her son when she saw him for the summer break.

The boy forced a smile and nodded to himself, “Won’t that be a show?”

“I’ll get the popcorn.”

Ryuji snorted, grinning toothily at his mother’s breathy laugh. There was a long beat of comfortable silence until his mother spoke cockily. Bon could  _ hear _ the smirk in her voice, “So, any cute guys yet?”

“Mom! I’ve barely been here a day!”

There was a soft chuckle, “All right, but tell me if there is.”

“Most of the guys here look like rich assholes anyway,” The boy mumbled, running a hand through his soft, now streaked, hair to get it out of his face. Damn, looks like he’d actually need those hair clips after all. 

Torako snorted but didn’t say a word. Bon’s face scrunched, he’d have to pack his school supplies tonight to be ready for Cram Class tomorrow which started in the afternoon. Knowing them, they’d spend the entire day looking around the school and have to go straight to class which meant he’d be carrying his bag around with him and would likely need  _ everything _ . 

“I can feel those gears working, whatcha thinkin ‘bout?” His mother’s voice was soft.

The monk sighed softly, “Cram Class starts tomorrow so I have to pack everything tonight so we can look around the school,” Ryuji’s head collided with the wall, brown eyes staring at the ceiling.

Torako hummed thoughtfully before scolding him in the protective voice she used when he was being an idiot, “Bring your earbuds, let's shoot for no migraines this year!” 

“That’s likely,” Bon scoffed.

“Now, go get ready. I’ll talk to you later. I love you.”

Ryuji paused before sighing deeply, “Love ya, too,” He mumbled before hanging up. The teen took a minute to sit in the peaceful silence, well as close to silence as you could get with his heightened hearing. 

The boy pulled out the business card Etsuko had given him. Maybe he could drop by sometime, it always felt nice to be around one of his own. Something not even a friend could do, like an instinct to be near something like him. 

A loud bang startled Bon out of his thoughts, he pocketed the card and darted into his dorm room, fearing for a second that someone had broken in and was trying to hurt his friends.

To others, that may sound ridiculous. But it had been ingrained in his head since before he could talk. To be ready for anything, watch everyone with a wary eye, and expect the unexpected. It was their code, how they lived and how they survived this long. It was something  _ every _ Phoenix followed without thinking, as if it was ingrained in their beings from the moment they began to walk the Earth. 

When Ryuji barged into the room, ready to put up a fight, the only thing he saw was Shima laying on the floor in a chair he had tipped over, laughing his ass off with Konekomaru. Bon blinked and sighed, forcing a smile and helping his friend up as he tried to calm his racing heart and mask his fear, “Seriously Shima? I leave for all of five minutes.”

The monk giggled and hung off the demon dramatically, “What would I do without you?”

Ryuji glared and dropped the boy without a word. Shima yelped and pulled himself up, a cheeky grin plastered on his face while Ryuji spoke easily with hands on his hips, “Are you trying to go to the hospital on your first day?”

The Pinkett hummed, “Maybe! Just think, all the girls would coddle me and feel sorry for me!” Bon blanched and raised an eyebrow, “Don’t worry my man, I’m sure I could get you a guy!”

“You’re hopeless.”

Ryuji turned without a word and tossed some notebooks into his bag, discreetly slipping his earbuds into a side pocket so he could easily find them in the morning, he’d really need them if he was surrounded by loud teenagers all day. Looking at the time, he noticed it was almost eleven and decided it would be good to just go to sleep. 

Bon collapsed face-first on his bed, groaning in surprise at how comfortable it was. Konekomaru chuckled, looking up from his book, he’d been watching Shima silently as the boy dramatized everything, “You turning in?” 

“Yup, I hit my limit of dealing with Shima for the day,” Ryuji breathed into his pillow, almost immediately falling under the grasp of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, it was supposed to snow ready but it didn’t so Screw you Mother Nature!!
> 
> Anyway, I know the first two chapters are slow, but chapters after get interesting. You’re just gonna have to put up with my bullshit for a while


	3. Just a Game of Chess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time you have all been waiting for, they finally meet Rin!!
> 
> FYI; there are a lot of POV changes in this chapter, be warned!

For once in his life, Ryuji did  _ not _ wake up at the ass crack of dawn or in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. He promptly chucked his phone across the room after silencing it’s buzzing and burrowed back under the covers in hopes that his body would agree with him for once. It didn’t _. _

Bon’s limited patience wore thin when he couldn’t fall back asleep in the span of two minutes. The boy groaned and pushed himself off the bed, walking into the hall with socked feet, he’d failed to change into pajamas and was still wearing the loose pants and shirt from yesterday. 

Ryuji walked up the stairs as quietly as possible, eventually pushing open the hatch leading to the roof. The cold night air crashed into him with the force of a car, the wind whipping around. Brown eyebrows pinched together in confusion, the window in the room he shared with Shima and Konekomaru was open and there had been nothing but a soft breeze shifting the curtains. Looking out in the distance, he noticed none of the trees were bent in the way they would be if the wind was this bad.

“What the-”

“I do hope you forgive my intrusion,” A sickly sweet voice said from behind. Bon whipped around but was met with nothing, “Up here.”

Suguro froze and slowly looked up. An older man was lounging in a floating arm chair. His violet hair was almost entirely covered by a disgusting pink and white tophat, his clothes were equally as horribly fashioned. He looked like a clown, to say the least. Bon sniffed, nose wrinkling as the smell of bubblegum and toxic perfume hit his nose.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” The man, obviously a demon from the way he was sitting in a  _ floating chair _ , jumped down and landed a few meters from the boy, “I do hope you forgive my intrusion,” The man repeated.

“I don’t.”

The man sighed, leaning on his puffy umbrella, “Perhaps introductions are in order, hm? My name is Mephisto Pheles, but you know me as-”

“Johann Faust, my mother told me to watch out for you,” Suguro’s eyes narrowed, arms crossed defensively. 

Mephisto’s head cocked to the side, seeming to be thinking about something, “Yes, I do suppose she would. Now, would you like to tell me your name?”

“You look more like a clown than the Demon King of Time to me.”

The clown glared, seeming to lose his uppity personality, “Now, listen here young man. I know who you are, Phoenix Prince, and I know you’re trying to keep your head out of the gutter and not have the Grigori on your tail, literally,” Mephisto’s eyes wandered down to the place on his chest Bon had his tail coiled around, “I wanted to warn you, this year the Cram School is going to be different than most. We have allowed some… interesting characters into the program. And if you would like to live past fifteen, I would suggest you avoid them.”

Internally, Ryuji was screaming at the man and cursing his luck. Because he was pretty sure when Mephisto said “interesting characters,” he meant demons. But outside, he kept his face neutral, almost bored. 

He sighed deeply, “Look, I couldn’t give less fucks about your warnings. I came here to become an exorcist and beat the shit out of Satan,” Mephisto blanched at this before smirking devilishly, as if he knew something Ryuji did not, “And if anyone gets in my way, I won’t hesitate to bring them down,” His eyes flashed a dangerous gold, the clown visibly flinching at the action, seeming to be taken by surprise. 

“I’m  _ not _ what you think I am, and don’t underestimate me. I can protect myself,” Ryuji continued, he knew when this guy said Phoenix, he thought of Karura. Yes, she was a Phoenix, but one that had been trapped in writing by mistake. In Egypt, they wrote about her on a slate of Limestone, sealing her away and forcing her to lose her mortality and quite a few pieces of herself.

Mephisto huffed, “I’m not sure you understand. Your class is going to be in the center of many scandals in-”

Bon launched forward, his three-stalked tail snapping out defensively as he grabbed Mephisto by the collar, pulling him down to his level, “If you put my friends in danger, I will personally hunt. You.  _ Down _ .”

Mephisto paled before carefully peeling the teen’s hands from his jacket, “Understood. But it is out of my control.”

“You better have a good explanation,” Suguro growled, finger pointed accusingly at the demon. He let a sharp claw slide from his finger and press into the clown’s chest. Mephisto winced, looking down and swallowing thickly.

Mephisto took a deep breath, purposely blowing foul smelling air in his face. Bon gagged and waved a hand in front of his face in an attempt to push the smell away. His finger removed itself from Mephisto’s chest. The demon looked relieved, “I do, in fact. A good friend of mine died and he had two sons, twins, he asked me to keep an eye on them. One is already an exorcist, the youngest ever, and will be teaching Demon Pharmaceutics. His older brother will be in your class. If you would like to keep your head off the Grigori’s plate, I suggest you avoid him.”

“Which one?”

“The student,” Mephisto said, a twinkle in his eyes. Yeah, he definitely knew something. Bon watched him warily.

Ryuji ran his tongue over his sharp teeth, mulling that over, “What’s with the look?”

“Oh, nothing. I just can’t wait to see how you’ll react to his presence,” Mephisto chuckled and snapped out of existence in a puff of pink smoke.

Bon huffed and walked to the roof’s edge, leaning against the railing. He watched the sky for a solid second before screaming out in frustration, throwing his hands into the air as his cries filled the quiet night. Ryuji rested his head against the railing, defeated, “Just my luck,” He growled, and for the first time in a very long time, he found himself wondering what it would be like to be normal, to be human.

* * *

Mephisto was slurping up raman when Shura Kirigakure waltzed into the room, “What’d ya want, jackass?” She proclaimed as she collapsed unethically into a chair, legs thrown over an arm.

The clown smirked darkly and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, “Mrs. Kirigakure, what brings you here today?”

“Don’t know, you tell me,” The red-head arched a perfect brow and watched the demon with deadly green eyes, “You’re the one that called me.”

“Ah, of course,” Mephisto swiveled in his chair, turning to look out the window at the rising sun, “I know the Vatican has ordered you to watch the Cram Class this year, correct?”

Shura hummed, twirling a lock of hair around her finger, “I was wondering when you’d figure it out. You’re not as dumb as the Vatican believes. So, you want me to stop and turn in false reports?”

“Heavens no!” Mephisto cackled, “Wouldn’t want you to lose your job, and I do  _ love _ the company.”

“Uh-huh,” Shura purred, not seeming to believe a single word as she scratched at the sigil on her extremely round chest.

Mephisto turned back around, “I would like you to spy for  _ me _ instead, turn in truthful reports. But, keep anything  _ demonic _ under wraps.”

Shura paused and kicked her feet back down, leaning forward with a skeptic eye, “What are you planning, Mephisto?”

“Nothing of importance. But I will have you know we have more than just one royal in that class,” Shura squinted, prompting the man onward. Mephisto laced his fingers together, resting his chin on his gloved hands, “I picked each one personally.”

“Explain,” The exorcist ordered, her voice ringing with the threat of imminent doom.

Mephisto sighed and leaned back in his chair, “Noriko Paku, Shima Renzo, and Konekomaru Miwa are human. You won’t have to worry too much about them,” Shura breathed a sigh of relief, “It’s the other four, you need to keep an eye on.”

Shura raised a brow, the beginning of doubt gnawing on the thin rope tying her patience together. She said nothing, waiting for the clown to continue. And he would, because the last time he played her and tried to withhold information, it hadn’t turned out well for the man. 

Unsurprisingly, Mephisto continued, “Kamiki Izumo, descendant of a long line of shrine maidens. Although it is diluted quite a bit, she does have the blood of the nine-tailed fox demon and, due to this, she has the makings of a great tamer.”

The red-head sucked in a sharp breath, “All right, she doesn’t sound too bad. I also knew about the Shrine maiden part.”

“Nemu Takara is not the boy you have probably looked at in a file, he’s a puppet.”

Shura blinked a few times, “That’s… that’s  _ new _ .”

Mephisto paid no mind and continued, seeming quite pleased with himself at his class, “Yukio, you already know. But his older twin brother Rin, is the one who obtained their father’s power of…”

“I swear to God, Mephisto-”

“The Blue Flames of Satan!” The demon laughed joyfully, arms spread dramatically. Or he tried to be. The instant noodles hanging from his lips destroyed the effect.

Shura jumped up, pulling her sword from her chest and bringing it awfully close to the demon posing as the principal, “A puppet, I can take. Descendant of the nine-tailed fox demon? Why the Hell not? But the son of  _ Satan _ !?”

“Sons, actually. They  _ are _ twins. Although Yukio was weak in the womb and never developed the powers,” A smile played at his lips deviously.

“Are you out of your goddamn mind?!” Shura shrieked, loudly. Mephisto had half a mind to wonder if anyone had heard her.

Mephisto tsked and pushed the sword away as if it was not in danger of slicing him in half, “Now, Mrs. Kirigakure, don’t be like that. You will continue to keep an eye on them for me?”

Shura sneered, scoffing loudly and putting her sword through the sigil on her chest, “Yeah, whatever,” Mephisto smiled as the woman turned and stormed to the door. Despite her outer appearance, he knew she was hooked.

Before she could reach the door, Mephisto spoke up, “Wouldn’t you like to know the last one? I would hate for you to leave before the start of the show.”

Shura glared hauntingly at the door, tilting her head over her shoulder and crossing her arms, “I’m listening.”

“Suguro Ryuji, heir to the Myoo Dahari temple in Kyoto. And,” Mephisto’s eyes glinted dangerously, a wide grin plastered across his face, “Full blooded demon,” Mephisto elected to leave out the specifics, the boy hadn’t seemed too thrilled after their little  _ chat _ earlier. 

Shura froze, body tensing and face staring at the ground, “You’re out of your damn mind, Mephisto. I hope you don’t come crawling to me when this blows up in your face,” She began walking to the door, the demon waved cheerily and spoke loudly.

“Well, I do  _ love _ a good show, and this one is turning out quite nicely, don’t you think?” The door slammed, at least the woman had taken her anger out on his door instead of him.

Only a few seconds ticked by before the loud crunching of chips came from above. Mephisto’s eye twitched, he didn’t have to look to know Amaimon was hanging upside down, “You’re welcome, brother.”

“Whatever for?” Mephisto knew what his brother was referring too, but he was not about to admit it out loud.

“For telling you, of course,” Amaimon crunched on another chip noisily, a pink gloved hand twitched on the desk, ready to strangle his brother, “Had I not told you about the presence I felt yesterday, you would be in the dark about Suguro all together, that’s probably how he was hoping it would go.”

Mephisto had to admit, his brother’s power was useful. Being the Demon King of Earth, he could feel every being, even beyond physical or mental boundaries, in a certain area. Mephisto pursed his lips, “Amaimon, I told you, until I have further use of you, you are to stay hidden.”

Amaimon stayed quiet for a second before he shrugged, “Okay,” He said in the slightly manic voice he always possessed, before disappearing into the ceiling.

* * *

_ Mephisto, _ Shura thought to herself, moving away from the door she had her ear pressed to,  _ It’s bad enough with the Bastard son of Satan, but a demon you didn’t know was here until your brother told you? What the Hell? _

Shura pushed off the wall and glided down the tiled hallway, some piece of her nagged endlessly that this would turn out horribly and she wasn’t sure if she’d get there in time to stop it.

_ Suguro _ , Her eyes narrowed at the floor. She’d read through his file. Amazing grades, great reputation, a temple in his hands in the near future, and Myoo Dahari no less. Her hands curled into fists, knuckles going white from the strain,  _ What are you? _

The exorcist sauntered down the empty paths between campus buildings. In only a few hours, the sun would rise and the campus would be filled with arriving students, although they had a week left. She would take time to find Suguro, see if he let anything slip. But first, she needed a way to spy on them in class. 

An idea sparked the woman and she dug out her phone, dialing a familiar number. The other line picked up on the first ring, “Mephisto, I have a favor to ask. Enroll a new student into the Cram School.”

A soft chuckle sounded around the slight static, “Of course, Mrs. Kirigakure. Who may this student be?” 

“Stop playing coy with me, Mephisto. His name is Yamada, I’ll come by later to pick up the uniform.”

“Of course,” Shura smirked and hung up. Maybe this would be interesting.

* * *

Ryuji was watching the concrete paths warily, after his encounter with Mephsito, he was not about to take any chances. He rubbed at his ears, making sure the buds were secure. Although they didn’t block out all sounds, they made it more manageable. He still had better hearing than a normal human like this, he believed it was equivalent to a high level demon.

Shima skipped along, flashing smiles and finger guns at any girl who looked his way. Konekomaru was studying the school’s architecture, mumbling to himself as he saw new things to inspect. Ryuji smiled tightly when Konekomaru pointed out something interesting to him, forcing himself to look interested. Normally, he’d probably be geeking out as well, admiring the stained glass and high ceilings, but he was too anxious to really look. 

Bon’s chocolate eyes watched people cautiously, especially those who seemed to be watching him. He noticed a few teachers pointing students in the right direction and the rare exorcist wandering around with the students. Ryuji gulped and pried his eyes away from the black coat and exorcist pin he was watching, from the way Mephisto sounded, he was not willing to tell anyone who he was. Whether that be because of Ryuji’s far from empty threats or the fear the Grigori would chop the clown's head, he didn’t know.

Ryuji shook his head, all he had to do was lay low and turn a blind eye to things that would give him away. His attention was finally ripped from the exorcist when a couple girls gossiping loudly passed them, “Did you see that guy?” One of the girls pointed to an area where a black haired boy was spinning around and looking at the ceiling, jaw nearly on the floor, “It’s like he’s never seen a school!”

Konekomaru looked up at Ryuji, who was scowling deeply, “Don’t you think they’re being a bit harsh? He might have gotten in on a scholarship and went to a small school like us.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Ryuji grumbled, noticing that Shima was ignoring those girls like they didn’t exist.

One of the girls, none of them seemed to notice the three of them glaring daggers at them, giggled, “I wonder if he’s ever been in public before.”

“He’s weird,” Another wrinkled her nose. 

The boy turned, glaring at the girls before stuffing his hands in his pockets, a pout set on his lips as he turned to walk away. Before he could, his eyes met Ryuji’s. Bon’s jaw went slack, the boy’s messy black hair fell across his face, obscuring his eyes slightly. For a second, the boy stared at Ryuji, or maybe just past him. His eyes were startling blue and seemed to dance in the light for the short time they were looking his way, before moving on.

Shima snickered and elbowed his side, “Someone’s got a crush!” He teased in a sing-song manner, Konekomaru snickering at his side.

“Shut the hell up,” Bon growled and marched in the direction they were going, opposite of the boy. He shook his head, it was unlikely he’d even seen him so it was best to forget him, pushing his thoughts from his head.

* * *

This school was huge! Ryuji was pretty sure normal schools didn’t look like this. It took a long time just to get around a small part of campus. He hadn’t even noticed the time until Konekomaru nudged him and pointed to his watch, “Class starts in a few minutes. We should use the key on a door.”

Shima whined, “I don’t want to go to class!” 

Ryuji huffed and dragged the Pinkett to a nearby closet, inserting his key into the hole and pushing open the door. Although he’d been surrounded by people who use magic keys all the time, it never failed to amaze him. They stepped into an elaborately decorated hallway, huge wooden doors lining the walls.

Bon’s breath was, unsurprisingly, swept away at the sheer size of the place. He didn’t think the Exorcist Program at True Cross was big enough to warrant  _ this _ , “Holy… shit,” He mumbled, jaw nearly hitting the floor.

“Um, do any of you remember what room we’re in?” Shima tapped his pointer fingers together nervously. 

Konekomaru nodded and stated, “I think we are in room 1106, that’s what room it said for the first year classes in the acceptance letters,” He paused for a second before his eyes crinkled in confusion behind red-rimmed glasses, “Why are there so many rooms if we’re only using one?”

“Beats me,” Ryuji mumbled, thinking how his friends from the Nome would say it was to be dramatic and over the top. Wandering down the hall with his eyes reading the numbers, Ryuji thought how they’d be acting right now. Probably doing something stupid that Ryuji would join in on without a second thought.

Ryuji came to a door with the worn down numbers lettering across the top. He bit his lip and looked back at his friends. Konekomaru waved his hand, motioning him forward. 

The boy pushed at the door, stepping into the room. There were already three people there. Two girls sat beside each other near the door while a boy sat in the front row as far away from the girls as possible. The boy held up a bright pink puppet that almost resembled some twisted form of a bunny, he seemed to be talking to it. The room itself was poorly kept, littered with cracks and random crap in almost every available space. Bon grimaced, watching his friend immediately introduce himself to the girls. 

The girl with short brown hair giggled and nudged her friend, Ryuji assumed they were friends by the way they sat so close. The other, a girl with startling red eyes and violet hair pulled into pig-tails, rolled her eyes and mumbled, “Whatever.”

Ryuji sighed and marched over to his friend, grabbing him by the collar in an attempt to reign him in, “Sorry ‘bout him.”

The cheery girl blushed deeply, waving her hand slightly as the other pressed against her cheek, “It’s fine!” The other girl huffed in annoyance, her scent hitting Ryuji like a ton of bricks. He faltered for a second before continuing to pull his friend a few rows behind the puppet boy. Shima hopped up to sit on the desk while Bon slid into the space beside him. Konekomaru claimed the desk behind them.

“I wonder what it’s going to be like?” Konekomaru whispered excitedly in the quiet room, “After all this time, we’re finally  _ here _ !” Bon nodded, but in reality, was not paying attention. He was mulling over the violet-haired girl’s scent. He recognized it, it was faint and almost passable as human, but there was the slightest hint of a  _ demon _ . One particular demon the Phoenix was notorious for not getting along with in the past, before it almost went  _ extinct _ . The Nine-Tailed Fox, a Kitsune. So Mephisto  _ hadn’t _ been kidding when he said there would be some interesting people. Damn his luck to Hell.

A new figure stepped through the door, neither of his friends paid any mind and continued their conversation. The person was dressed in a version of the boy’s uniform. He had the pants and jacket, but was wearing a black hoodie under the jacket. The hood was pulled up, shadowing the guy’s face. He seemed to scan the room, eyes pausing on every person before he marched with purpose to the side of the room Ryuji was occupying.

Ryuji watched him with narrowed eyes as he passed them, he was sure to try and decipher his scent. If Mephisto had told the truth, then there were multiple “interesting characters” here. He flinched when he caught it, for one, the guy was actually a girl. And when he said girl, he meant she identified as a girl. Smells were also based on the feelings of a person, not their DNA entirely.

He glared at her as she walked to the furthest possible seat from the front, dead center of the room. Although her eyes weren’t visible, he knew she was watching him. And something in his gut told him she had an  _ idea _ what he was or what was going on here. His eyes flashed for the barest of seconds as he turned to face his friends and act as if he’d been paying attention to their conversation. He could already tell things were going to get complicated.

Ryuji pinched the bridge of his nose, he could feel a headache coming on.

* * *

Shura walked down the hall to a familiar room she knew the Pages would be studying in for their first year of exorcist training. It was also the same place she’d pretend to be a student by the name of Yamada. The woman pulled at the hood of her sweatshirt, carefully checking that it was hiding her face and hair from view. 

Most of the kids were already in the room when she entered. There only seemed to be one missing. Her green eyes roved over each kid, she saw the girl named Izumo with barely enough demon blood to even qualify as one. Her friend, she assumed it was Paku, was talking animatedly with her. Takara was across the room, talking to the bright pink puppet in his hands. Then he saw Shima, at least she assumed it was Shima, his hair was bright pink instead of brunette. Konekomaru was sitting at the desk behind him, neither seeming to notice her.

Then she saw Suguro, he looked different from his picture. There was a blonde streak down the middle of his slightly curled brown hair, and a multitude of piercings adorned his ears. He was watching her as she watched him.  _ What kind of demon are you? _ She thought, hoping he would give an answer to her unspoken question. The only answer he gave was a dark glare.

Shura’s heart leapt for a second before she elected to walk by him to see if he would do anything else. He watched her, the glare etched across his face the entire time, as she passed. For a second, Suguro seemed to be processing something, like he was studying information she didn’t know he was getting. 

The exorcist walked to the back of the class, this would be the best place to keep an eye on everyone. When she collapsed in her seat and crossed her arms, she noticed he was still watching her and she watched back. They stayed like that for a second, silently staring each other down. Suguro turned away. Before his face was hidden from view, she could have sworn his eyes flashed gold.

_ What in the hell has gold eyes? _ She had no extra time to think about it before the last student came in. She immediately knew it was the son of Satan simply by ruling it out. Mephisto wasn’t joking when he said this class would get interesting. Four demons in a room, and all were supposed to be learning to become exorcists. How ironic.

* * *

Ryuji looked up as the door creaked open again, revealing the boy from before. The Phoenix blanched, at what, he wasn’t sure. Now that the boy was closer, he looked like the type that attracted trouble. And, by ruling things out, likely a demon. He looked around, trying to push his bangs out of his face and failing miserably. Strangely enough, he was… Ryuji didn’t know what to think. He had a gaze that seemed to be filled with amazement. He also seemed like someone who would goof off in class rather than listen. 

The boy’s blue eyes landed on the girl-posing-as-a-boy in the back, he murmured something so low that if it wasn’t for Ryuji’s enhanced hearing, he’d have completely missed it, “Who’s he, Eminem?” Ryuji snorted into his hand, but turned it into a cough in an attempt to stifle it. 

The boy seemed he didn’t notice, not that he cared of course, and took a seat at the front. A white Scottish Terrier Ryuji had failed to notice, likely due to his attention being too focused on the boy, hopped up with him. There was an extravagantly ridiculous pink and white bow around the dog’s neck, it reminded Ryuji of something Mephisto would wear. Maybe it was his dog and the boy was related or something. Just the thought of the boy, who was kinda cute in all honesty, being related to the fashion disaster that was Mephisto made the Phoenix want to vomit. 

“Not a whole lotta students,” The boy gawked in surprise.

“Well,” Ryuji startled slightly when the dog talked, in a familiar voice no less. Yup, that’s Mephisto. So, what the hell was he doing here? He wasn’t surprised about the dog-form thing. If you were skilled enough in Egyptian magic, you could do similar things. Most religions around the world had something related to form-altering. He wasn’t surprised Christianity was included, “Exorcists are always few in number. This is actually a lot,” Mephisto muttered the last part as if it was unnecessary, an off handed comment.

The dog glanced over his shoulder, startling when he caught Ryuji glaring angrily at him. Mephisto turned around quickly after that, shimmying as if he was trying to get out of the Phoenix’s line of sight.

“Quiet down, class,” The door opened and a brunette boy Suguro recognized as the Freshman class Rep, walked through the door. Holy shit, this must be the youngest exorcist Mephisto had told him about. When Mephisto said young, he hadn’t thought  _ this _ young. 

“Oh, here’s the teacher,” Mephisto said, the boy went silent almost immediately.

The teacher had a belt criss-crossing his waist with guns and reload magazines at hand easily, “Class will now begin,” The boy at the desk went wide-eyed and seemed to forget how to breathe for a second. The teacher smiled once he reached his desk, placing his supply case and a folder safely on it. Ryuji couldn’t help but think there was something hidden beneath the smile, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Yukio Okumura. I’ll be your Anti-Demon Pharmaceuticals instructor.”

The boy shot up, pointing an accusing finger at Mr. Okumura, “Yukio?! Really?”

Ryuji raised a brow and turned to his friends for a second, both shrugged in confusion and turned back to the dramatics shown by the black-haired boy. The teacher pursed his lips, glasses glinting dangerously before blank eyes, “Yes. Yukio. Is something wrong?” Mr. Okumura stayed calm, opening his case with his eyes turned away from the boy. Ryuji guessed, based solely on the boy’s reaction, they were brothers. Meaning the loud boy was who he should avoid. Fucking perfect. Why was it always the pretty ones?

The boy stumbled over his words multiple times before finally spitting out, “Whaddaya mean?! What’s wrong with  _ you? _ !”

Yukio smiled brightly, brows raised as he turned to his brother, “Nothing’s wrong. Class is in session, so be quiet.”

The boy, looking like he had no idea what to do, slowly sat back down. He was whispering to the dog, again only loud enough for Suguro to hear, “Mephisto! What’s going on here?! What’s he-”

Mephisto tsked, sitting up and acting all prim and proper. He turned to the boy, eyes half lidded, “Please address me as ‘sir.’ I’m your superior,” The boy gawked, looking more than a little confused and horrified. 

“As you may have guessed,” Yukio continued, now standing in front of his desk and continuing to address the class as if nothing was happening between his brother and the dog. Suguro guessed it kind of wasn’t, him being the only one who could hear the conversation, “I’m a new instructor who’s the same age as you. But with regard to exorcism, I’m two years ahead of you, so please address me as ‘Mr. Okumura.’” The teacher smiled brightly, his eyes crinkled as he announced his titles with pride. Bon couldn’t blame him, he’d be proud too if he was the youngest exorcist ever.

“Now, who has never encountered temptaint before? Raise your hand,” Yukio did the same as if to demonstrate how to do this. Bon raised his hand, as did the brown haired girl and Shima. Although Ryuji was considered a demon (by the exorcists), it did not give him the ability to see them. He was a being of the Egyptian religion, meaning he could see things of the Egyptian religion without the Duat, which worked as a sort of cover to hide things mortals could not perceive, interfering with his sight. For example, he passed the  _ Ba _ belonging to someone, likely someone holding Egyptian magic, a few weeks ago when walking around the forest near his home. However, he could see beasts from other religions, just not any form of Christianity, that’s when you needed a temptaint. Ryuji always thought it was unnecessarily complicated. Shouldn’t you be able to see things that put you in danger?

“Temptaint?” The boy’s head flew side to side, rapidly looking for answers. Ryuji’s lips parted slightly, oh God this boy was an idiot. The Phoenix promptly ignored the conversation taking place between the boy and Mephisto as the latter explained what a temptaint was. Yukio talked over his brother, explaining that they would cover the ritual in their first lesson. All the voices drowned together, overwhelming the demon’s ears and creating a buzzing noise. 

Suguro rubbed at his ear, hoping people didn’t notice the pain the noises were causing him. He clenched his teeth, trying his hardest to  _ focus _ .

* * *

_ “Ryuji,” His mother sighed, hugging the tiny boy in her lap. He was crying, clutching at his ears and squeezing his eyes tightly. The small boy’s face was buried in the crook of her neck, “It’s all right, sweetie. Just breathe.” _

_ His tail was clutching tightly at her leg, wings limp on the floor, “Mama, it hurts,” The boy sobbed. The door slid open silently and Yaozo stepped in, careful to be sure no one saw into the room and realized the true nature of the mother and her son. _

_ He shook his head slightly, kneeling in front of the two respectfully. He did not risk speaking, but Torako got the message. She had asked him to find Tatsuma to see if he could help Ryuji with this. It was the third time this week he’d had an overload. It was uncommon for a Phoenix to have one of this magnitude often, maybe only once every few months. It was starting to worry Torako of her son’s health and safety. If he could not stop something like this from happening, he might reveal who he was which would be worse than any fate one could imagine. _

_ Torako sighed and pet her son’s unruly hair. Yaozo sighed as well and, in the quietest voice humanly possible, breathed out, “Is there anything I can do to help?” _

_ Torako shook her head, “He needs time.” _

_ The pain was excruciating, she knew. Almost like someone took an ax to your head and you couldn’t die. Yaozo stepped from the room, closing the door behind him. Ryuji was holding his breath, heart skipping as a reminder that it needed oxygen, “Breathe, Ryuji. Breathe.” _

* * *

Ryuji took a deep breath, making it as quiet as possible so as not to draw attention to himself, “-classroom isn’t in use,” He tuned in just as Mr. Okumura was explaining something related to their lesson for today, “It is a nest for demons called Goblins,” Ryuji pursed his lips, he had heard slight scratching upon entering, but brushed it off as a rat, something that was much more common than people believed, even in the cleanest of homes. 

The brown haired girl raised a shaky hand, her voice equally as shaky, “Is it- is it safe?”

Yukio nodded, assuring the girl kindly, “Yes. Goblins don’t usually appear in bright places where people gather,” Ryuji sighed boredly and tuned out the words again. He knew all of this, it was expected when he was raised in a temple of exorcists. Okumura waved around a vial of foul smelling blood and a carton of milk that he could smell as sour. The Phoenix gagged, putting a hand over his nose and mouth to dilute the smell, at least a little. 

The teacher’s brother stood abruptly, catching the attention of everyone around him. He launched himself over his desk and slammed a hand on the teacher’s desk, “Explain yourself!” Ryuji’s brows raised in surprise at the outburst. Great, more shouting. Ryuji rubbed at his ear with his free hand, feeling like an idiot.

“We’re in the middle of class. Sit  _ down _ ,” Yukio scolded his brother.

The boy grit his teeth, fists clenched together tightly. He snarled, screaming out, “Knock it off, Yukio!”

Suguro froze, glancing around the room to judge how others were reacting to this. Nearly everyone in the class wore an expression of surprised confusion, everyone except for the girl in the back. Although her features were hidden, her body language portrayed that she had expected this and couldn’t care less. If she was doing all she could to hide herself, then there was a distinct possibility she was  _ watching _ them. 

Who was he kidding, of course she was. Mephisto had enrolled a classroom of demons to become exorcists, the chance he  _ wouldn’t _ send someone to keep an eye on them was slim to none. So that girl was more likely an adult and a wicked good exorcist. Ryuji was beginning to regret his life choices as he silently panicked without anyone so much as noticing. 

Yukio sighed in exasperation, “As I mentioned earlier, I became an exorcist two years ago and began training when I was seven,” Jesus Christ, the clown hadn’t been joking when he said he was the youngest exorcist ever. Not only that, but did this kid have a  _ life _ ?! “I was infected by temptaint by my twin brother at birth,” Yukio gave a pointed look to the boy.

Ryuji’s eyes narrowed slightly, so they were brothers, twins at that. That also proved his theory of the boy being a demon. But what kind? He saw ears curved in a slight point and sharp canine teeth. Was he a powerful demon, a sub king? Was he hiding a tail or did he even have one?

“I’ve been able to see demons since before I could crawl,” Suguro heard Shima wince from his place beside him. The former could relate slightly to the teacher, being born like this he’d been able to see through the Duat, or more commonly known as the Veil, since he was little. He never had to concentrate to see things, and sometimes he wished he didn’t have to see those things. Even now he’d freeze when he saw a monster before remembering he was the, as his mother liked to say, “Bigger, badder monster and had nothing to fear.”

But now, he didn’t have the ability to freeze, even before coming here. They were always around so he had to get used to the monsters. Especially when they became the least dangerous last year.

Ryuji stiffened, hands coming down to ball fists in his lap.  _ No, he will  _ not _ think about that. He was never going to remember  _ that. He allowed his claws to unsheathe themselves from his fingers, piercing his palm to shock him back into reality. 

“I’ve known the whole time,” Yukio growled, a sneer twisted at his brother, “The only one who didn’t know was  _ you _ .”

The blue-eyed boy looked horrified, and Suguro couldn’t help the twinge of sympathy coiling in his gut. But, did that mean the boy only just recently found out what he was? “Now, return to your seat,” Yukio propped his hands on his hips, waiting for his brother to take his seat.

The boy’s voice came out small, barely recognizable from the loud accusations he had been making earlier, “But if you knew, then why didn’t you tell me?!” His voice grew in volume towards the end, he grabbed his brother’s coat threateningly, the exorcist dropped the vial of blood as he moved to get his brother off him. The glass shattered with a loud snap, sending gooey, red liquid across the floor. (Just in case you were wondering, it smelled worse outside the vial)

Shima gagged and put a hand over his nose, “Yuck, that stinks!” 

“Ya, think?” Bon grumbled, scrunching his nose and holding his breath. Fucking hell, that was worse then the dumpster outside the inn. The Phoenix was pressing his fist to his mouth, trying not to hurl.

“What’s that smell?!” The boy waved a hand in front of his face and stared open mouthed at the pool of crimson liquid.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the vent from above fell to the table. Everyone jumped to their feet in surprise. Ryuji raised his fists, prepared to punch anything that came at him, “Demons!” The violet haired girl shouted, pointing to the spot the grate had dropped as she cowered behind her friend.

“Where?!” Suguro shouted above the din, trying to figure out where he should be looking. There was too much sound in the room for him to pinpoint anything with sound. Even that was faulty at the best of times. Konekomaru squeaked and jumped behind Ryuji, grabbing at his shirt.

The violet haired girl yelped and ducked, seemingly to avoid an invisible something being chucked at her as she shifted out from behind her friend for a second, “There!”

Yukio’s eyes narrowed as he fired shots into thin air, which exploded at random points as if they hit something. Which they likely did, “Hobgoblins!” Yukio shouted, warning them. One of the girls shrieked and the other flinched away, “Evacuate the classroom!”

The girl-dressed-boy sighed and picked herself up, leisurely strolling to the door with the others as if this wasn’t a big deal. But to them, the majority of them had only seen a handful of demons if that. Suguro felt useless, he had no idea what to do. You put him in front of any monster from lore around the world and he could easily fight and defeat it. But he couldn’t fight something he couldn’t see without good information of the beast. 

Outside the classroom, Yukio grumbled out, “They’re small, but there are a lot of them and the blood stirred them up. I’m sorry this is my fault.” 

_ Bullshit, if your idiot brother had just kept his cool, everything would be fine _ , Ryuji thought to himself, his thoughts towards the boy becoming bitter. All thought of him being cute looking forgotten.

“Please wait outside while I get rid of them. You too, Rin,” So his name was Rin. At least he could stop calling him ‘the boy’ in his head.

The newly named Rin growled, sharp teeth bared and he kicked the door closed with a sharp  _ slam!, _ leaving the twins in there alone. Suguro ran a hand down his face, this guy was an idiot! Was he trying to get killed? Couldn’t he talk to his brother later?

Suguro closed his eyes and focused on the voices from the other side, thankful he was standing behind everyone so they wouldn’t notice if he reacted to anything said in the obviously private conversation. But at this point, Bon needed to know. This guy seemed new to the whole, keep-your-demon-side-hidden ordeal and was just tearing around with it. Amateurs were going to be the death of Ryuji’s kind, so he really didn’t want to be anywhere near a dangerous one. 

The only positive was if something happened, Rin would be the first person the Vatican would go for because of his nature. At least because of the attitude he was showing now. Who knows, maybe he was never like this. They would never expect a good student, or a quiet person, or someone who didn’t get ticked off easily. Rin seemed like the kind of person that would be found out in a matter of  _ months _ . And that’s if he was lucky, really lucky. Like,  _ Shai _ or  _ Fortuna _ blessed his ass level of luck. Which meant the Grigori or  _ someone _ would be keeping a closer eye on the class. Which gave less room for minor slip ups.

“We’re not done talking!” The scream was loud and he was sure the others may have caught a sliver of that sentence. The others around him were muttering to themselves, wondering what was going on and what was being said.

“And it wasn’t your fault! It was mine, sorry,” Suguro had to pause for a second, Rin didn’t seem like the kind to apologize. Maybe there was more to him? He did only just meet him after all. 

Yukio sighed, the minute sound of his glasses being pushed up lost to the ringing sound of a gunshot piercing the Phoenix’s ears. Ryuji bit his lip to hold in a wince, thankful for the ear buds. Without them, this would be  _ so _ much worse, “There’s nothing else to say.”

“What?” Rin sounded honestly offended and more than a little confused.

There were more gunshots in quick succession, “I’m busy, save it for later.”

There was a long pause, for a second Ryuji thought the demons were gone. No such luck, “Uh, how about a little help!” Rin shouted, sounding like he was struggling with something, maybe to stay standing if the sound of stumbling and the squeak of a desk was anything to go by.

“They’re totally  _ gnawing _ on you,” Yukio breathed in surprise, amusement rolling off his tongue. Suguro pressed a fist to his mouth to stifle a giggle from bubbling up his throat and out of his mouth.

A loud shriek followed. The forceful snap of a  _ fire _ hitting Suguro’s ears. After wielding his own fire for his whole life, Ryuji was able to pinpoint the sound of it easily. Was Rin wielding fire? There was a low snarl, the voice hitting the monk’s ears was nothing like Rin’s, yet everything like his. It was echoing, each word laced with power that made someone want to obey, “Listen to me!” Yukio was silent, nothing but his faltering steps telling Suguro that he continued to exist in this world, “We hardly talked since Father Fujimoto died!” Ryuji startled, eyes blinking open. He knew that name, his father talked about him on occasion. Wasn’t he the Paladin? So he was dead, Suguro remembered something his father told him. How Shiro Fujimoto would not kill a demon if they have done no harm, how he felt sympathy for them, on a lucky occasion.

If he was here now, would he be someone to turn Ryuji in, or help him? The demon shook away those thoughts and continued to listen, he should not worry about them since there was no chance now. Now was not the time to hope, he needed to constantly be on his toes.

“If you knew all this time,” Rin’s voice was laced with doubt, he was  _ scared _ . Of course he was, his brother was being an ass and deprecating him with every word, “Then how did you feel about me?”

Suguro bit his lip, this was not going to turn out well. Considering the way Yukio had been acting before, he had a pretty good idea of what he would say to his brother in light of his question. The sound of bullets flying, wood splintering, and fire burning was all he could hear for a long time, until Yukio’s voice rang through, “How did I feel?” His voice was laced with malice and hatred, Suguro visibly shuddered. It felt like the words were directed to him, “Well, since you’re a  _ demon _ , I thought you were dangerous!”

“Why you-” Rin sounded hurt, badly so. Not only that, but Rin wasn’t good at covering his emotions, and due to the focus the demon had on him, he could feel the hole he was digging himself into.

Rin was cut off by the sound of two magazines clattering to the floor, “You’re such a  _ fool _ , Rin,” Ryuji balled his fists, if his friends found out and this was their reaction, someone was going to walk away with a broken nose, “Why do you want to be an exorcist?”

Ryuji grit his teeth, the sharp points grinding together as he listened to Yukio continue to chew out his brother, “Revenge? Or to atone for what you did to Father Fujimoto?” Suddenly, the sound of a crash erupted from the room and he was damn sure this time that everyone heard it.

“Well, it’s too late now!” Yukio shouted at him, his voice chorused by bullets lodging into walls and invisible monsters, “If that’s what you really want… then turn yourself into headquarters or just  _ die _ !” Bon couldn’t stifle the gasp this time, his eyes flying open as his hand came up to slam over his slack-jawed mouth. Forget Rin, what kind of monster was  _ Yukio _ ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was sooo late, I already had it written I was just procrastinating actually uploading it for you guys. Thanks for being patient.


	4. Rattled to the Core

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Shura becomes more suspicious, Ryuji almost reveals because he’s pissed (can ya blame him?), and we meet Shiemi.

Shura was not surprised in the slightest in Rin’s reaction to seeing his brother as an exorcist. Nor the way Yukio was acting towards him. The latter always wore a face of stoic indifference, but there was a lot of anger hidden inside that was bottled up. And now, he looked like the bottle was about to explode.

She was even less surprised when Yukio shoved them all out of the room when the Hobgoblins appeared, but the way Rin slammed the door shut in anger, locking them both in,  _ did _ surprise her, “What’s going on in there?” Konekomaru stuttered, looking like he had just seen a ghost. Fitting, considering what he  _ did _ see. 

The exorcist stayed silent, but noticed out of the corner of her eyes how Suguro was standing in the back of the group, eyes closed and fists clenched. What was he doing? She studied him, ignoring the way everyone flinched when a gunshot or scream could be heard. Instead, she watched silently. The way Suguro’s teeth ground together, the way he would sneer on occasion or how his eyebrows pinched together. Could he…  _ hear _ them? His eyes blinked open for a split second, the same golden color from before replacing the warm brown. She breathed out, not realizing she held her breath, when his eyes closed again. 

It couldn’t have been more than a minute before the next reaction came. Suguro stumbled slightly, a gasp flying out of his throat. No one else seemed to notice in their own worried chatter, but she did. A hand flew to his mouth, amber eyes blown wide. He looked frazzled. Something beneath his shirt twitched and his ears pointed slightly. Shura’s lips parted as she watched the way he quickly ran a hand through his hair, seemingly pushing down an emotion that was nearing boiling point. 

The point of his ears disappeared, the golden eyes melting back to brown. He glanced side to side, and his eyes locked with hers. Shura watched for a second more before turning away. This was bound to get interesting.

* * *

He almost lost control of his glamour, almost revealed himself. He got so lost in the emotions rolling off Rin from the other side of the door. The horror, fear, guilt, regret and most of all, the despair. His emotions were so  _ strong _ , impossible to ignore. Ryuji felt like he was drowning in them, struggling to tell up from down. He needed to turn it  _ off _ ! Turn off that power like he had to do often. It was a danger to them, any empathetic creatures like Phoenix. If he got too overwhelmed, his body would shut down, go on autopilot with no regards to the huge walls he’d set up since he was little. The ones that kept even his closest friends miles away, the ones that only let his family in.

He’d felt the familiar twinge of his ears pointing, and the itch of feathers crawling up his back and along his ears.  _ No _ ! He screamed inside, wrestling for control. Stamping down the feathers, the wings,  _ everything _ . He pushed away that fire, the one that was warm when it enveloped him. It would feel nice, his huge wings hiding his back, the-no! He crushed that feeling, locking away that flame in the deepest part of his mind. He couldn’t let  _ them _ know. 

The fire receded, taking his breath for several tense seconds. Then his ears lost the slight point, thank god they hadn’t grown to their full length, that would have been hard to explain. His tail coiled back around his torso, stilling unnaturally. 

It left him shaky, scared. He hadn’t lost control like that, hadn’t had to fight it, for a long time. What was happening to him? He wanted to break down, to scream at the sky. But he couldn’t not yet, not here. He glanced around, fearing his friends were watching him when he felt eyes on him, they weren’t. Only the strange girl, he watched her for a long time even after she turned away. Oh, he was so screwed.

Because of his little breakdown, he managed to miss a portion of the fight going on inside the classroom. He managed to tune in as Yukio spoke, missing the first part of the sentence, “-Father Fujimoto was our strongest exorcist! There is no way he would have allowed Satan to enter him,” The world around him seemed to still, the only sound the hissing he assumed to be the demons who were shot, “Unless he were mortally wounded in his soul.”

The waves of shock rolled over from Rin, he could imagine the boy was standing there, mouth agape as he stared at his brother, “Did you say something to hurt him?” Yukio’s voice was lower, deadly, cutting through the air like ice.

Rin stammered, sounding as if he was trying to force words out of his mouth, failing miserably. Yukio cut him off yet again, not giving him a chance, “If he had one weakness, it was  _ you _ big brother,” Yukio spat out the last two words as if they were poison on his tongue, “You… you killed Father Fujimoto!”

There were no shots, no screeches from the demons, only the silence. For one horrifying second, he wondered if Yukio had shot his brother, or was doing something. From the sound of the Exorcist's voice, he wouldn’t be surprised. But, Rin’s voice filtered through his ears, they were shaky and full of too many emotions to understand just one, “Like you said, I’m a fool. So say whatever you want! But don’t point your gun at me!” The sudden shouting made Suguro want to clamp his hands over his ears, but he managed to keep them by his side, dangling limply.

The sound of a sword, likely the one Rin had been carrying on his back since walking through the classroom door, “WE’RE  _ BROTHERS _ !” There was a loud explosion, he didn’t need to use his demonic senses to hear it, it was only muffled by the door slightly.

He could hear a tremor in the way the gun rattled, Yukio’s voice was small, pleading, “Rin-”

“I didn’t kill Father Fujimoto. I can understand your feelings, but why point  _ that _ thing at me?” The slam of feet against the tiled floor assaulted his ears, “If it’ll make you feel better, then shoot!!” Suguro’s jaw went slack, his sharp teeth peeking out slightly, “SHOOT!”

Suddenly, there was a loud hiss and the sound of the sword being returned to it’s scabbard, “Don’t insult me, I’d  _ never _ fight my little brother,” Ryuji finally had enough, he blocked out the sounds of the brothers in the classroom, focusing on a sound far away. He didn’t care what it was, but he was done snooping in on them. The sound of rustling leaves and trickling water drifted past his ears. Finally, peace and quiet. 

Shima looked worriedly at the door before knocking loudly, “Mr. Okumura! Are you all right?” That managed to snap Suguro out of his head.

The Pinkett waited worriedly for a response before Yukio sighed, “Yes, we’re all right. The classroom, however, is  _ not _ ,” He could imagine the younger brother pointedly glaring at Rin.

Rin, in turn, grumbled, “When did that happen?!”

Ryuji sighed, a small smile ghosting his lips as he continued to listen, “I knew it,” Yukio deadpanned, “You’re dangerous.”

Suguro wrinkled his nose, he couldn’t be more dangerous than him. It was doubtful any of the demons in this class even had a dangerous power. Ryuji’s power was equivalent to a  _ god’s _ , they were called “mortal deities” for a reason, they may not have any form of immortality, but they definitely had the power of an immortal. 

Rin spluttered out a series of half answers before finally settling on one that didn’t sit well with the Phoenix, “I… I’m going to learn how to-I’ll learn to control it!” Bon stalled, an uncertain breath escaping his lips, Rin couldn’t control his power. Even if it wasn’t powerful normally, a demon without control was more dangerous than anything around. He knew that more than anyone.

Yukio huffed, “Rin, as long as you try to become an exorcist, what I said earlier will follow you around. Someone will always be saying or thinking about it. Be prepared,” The door swung open revealing a destroyed room and a slightly rattled teacher, “My apologies, everyone. Let’s reconvene in another room. Come on, Rin!”

The boy stalled for a second before a determined grin spread across his face, showing off his pointed fangs, “Sure thing, teach!” Ryuji hummed to himself, following Yukio to another room. Maybe he’d have someone to compete with this year instead of everyone trying to keep up with him. That would be a nice change. The rest of the class went by pretty much normal, they got their textbooks if the class required one and a shit load of homework. By the end of the day, Bon was pretty much toast. 

The monk collapsed in the seat of a desk in the dorm room, Konekomaru taking the other while Shima read his porno magazines on the bed. Bon gagged and read over his notes, finishing homework easily. It was easier than expected, basic stuff he had already known. The monk looked over, Shima had fallen asleep, drool dripping onto his magazine and a way too happy smile on his face. Konekomaru had turned in for the night, having finished his homework as well and deciding not to study yet. 

Noticing he no longer had eyes on him, he brought his arm up, rolling the sleeve to his elbow. Three faint lines were drawn across the skin, their pale color standing out against his tanned skin. After moving to the new classroom, Yukio had managed to wrangle a hobgoblin and get it to scratch those without temptaint. Suguro had panicked for a second, fearful that someone would notice the difference in his blood, namely the girl still in the back who hadn’t taken her eyes off him since he almost lost it.

Thankfully nobody, to his knowledge, had noticed the way the crimson flared with golden veins to give it the illusion that fire was being shot into it. Nor did they notice that, by the end of class, the marks had become scars. Ryuji rubbed at his temples, hiding his heritage was going to be harder than he thought.

* * *

Shura kicked her apartment door open, peeling off the uniform so she could slip on her pajamas. Letting her long hair fall down her back, she dialed the most recent number and put it to her ear, “Why hello, how goes your studies?”

“Cut the crap, Mephisto,” Shura growled, glaring holes into the wooden floor.

Mephisto hummed, “Well, are you going to tell me how the first day of class was?”

Shura’s head slammed against the table, jostling a can of half-empty beer, “Rin seemed out of control by the way the classroom looked after…”

“And, Mr. Suguro?” Mephisto asked, sipping on a cup of tea from the other end of the line.

Shura couldn’t answer at first, thinking back to the way Suguro had looked in the hall. Out of control but at the same time like he  _ was _ in control. She couldn’t help for fear for the lives of everyone, were his abilities so powerful that they looked out of control when they were in control? Or did he not have any control over them? She didn’t know what scared her more, “I don’t know what to think. He seems good at hiding it, but I’m not sure about his control. It almost slipped for a second, and it looked like…” like he was struggling, Shura shook her head, “I don’t know what I saw, but I can tell you this. It isn’t good, and… you’re in way over your head.”

Mephisto sighed, humming slightly to himself, “I don’t think I am.”

Shura took the phone from her ear and glared at it, “Piss off you cocky clown,” She sneered and hung up quickly. She dropped her head to her hands, reaching blindly for the half-empty can of beer, downing it in one swallow. What had her life come to? It used to be you found a demon and killed it, now she was supposed to watch them?! She had the distinct feeling that Mephisto also wanted her to  _ protect _ them. God dammit, “This was one Hell of a time to leave, Shiro.”

Shura sat there for hours, pondering all the ways this could go wrong. Because there was never a time where it didn’t, and with such high stakes in the newest edition of Mephisto’s plans, everything was about to reign down in fire.

* * *

The second day of class was a little less eccentric, but still just as interesting. There was a new student today, Shiemi Moriyama. Instead of the school uniform, she was sporting a pink and green kimono, a handful of books wrapped in a red fabric were clutched to her chest. Her shoulder length blonde hair was neatly kept and held to the side with a flowery clip. 

After being introduced, she stuttered out a nervous, “Pleased-pleased to meet you!” She bowed deeply before stumbling over the seat besides Rin, “Hi, Rin!” She greeted him kindly, so they already knew each other. Long time friend, maybe?

Rin gawked, eyes blown wide, “What’re  _ you _ doing here?!” 

“Mr. Okumura had the president let me enroll. This’ll be fun!” Suguro felt like he missed something, like jumping into the middle of a conversation with absolutely no context.

Ryuji watched as the girl pinched her face in her best attempt to look serious, the small trembles in her body told otherwise, “I’m a big scaredy-cat, so I came here to toughen up,” That girl was going to regret that decision. You didn’t exactly go to Cram School to “toughen up.”

Rin’s brows pinched, mouth twisting in concern, “You okay? You’re all tense. I’m surprised you even made it here!”

Suguro raised his eyebrows, did that kid have a filter at  _ all _ ? You don’t just say that to someone unless you are extremely familiar with them. Shiemi turned to Rin, a bright smile splitting her face, “I owe it all to you! Thank you!” 

Rin blushed lightly, turning his face away, “Oh, it was nothing, besides…” The boy’s words drifted off as the blonde’s focus immediately turned to Yukio who was drawing a diagram on the board. 

Her eyes seemed to glitter, her textbook open in front of her, “I always wanted to see Yuki teach!” Suguro didn’t even have time to question the nickname when he saw the way Rin blanched, arms crossed as he glared at his brother, annoyed. Bon grumbled, writing down notes while his mind wandered, he couldn’t help but wonder what it was with that guy. One thing was for sure, his curiosity was piqued.


	5. The Start of Something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry, this is really late. I was Swamped with homework and dealing with my new classes that I haven’t had a break yet. I hope you guys enjoy!!

Suguro growled, the curiosity he’d had before had gone out the window. Rin was sleeping  _ again _ ! The grip the monk had on his pencil was enough to make it creak, near breaking point. The boy was glaring daggers at Rin as Shima and Konekomaru traded glances and eye rolls as they continued to focus on their work. Neither wanted to point out the fact that Bon wasn’t focusing on his work either, but they knew it would be a losing battle, “I wish he’d leave,” Suguro snarled.

Rin turned, studying the demon for a second before turning back around… and promptly falling back asleep. Bon snarled, scoffing loudly as the teacher shouted at Rin to get it together. 

By the time they reached Demon Pharmaceuticals, Ryuji was ready to snap. Rin didn’t even  _ try _ paying attention. If he did, maybe the monk wouldn’t be too upset about it, but this was driving him nuts! This school was one of the best and this guy was just lazing around. He was probably some rich kid who could just buy his degree. Fucking perfect.

Yukio waved around a stack of papers, quizzes they took yesterday to see just how much they knew, “All right, time to return your quizzes. Mr. Shima…” The Pinkett sauntered up as more of the class was called up. Shima skipped back, showing off his eighty-two happily. Bon flashed him a thumbs up and continued to listen for his name.

The monk noticed the way Shiemi bounced in her seat excitedly, “I’m sure I did well! This is the only subject I’m really good at!” Suguro sighed and ignored the suggestions Yukio discussed with Shiemi after calling her up, he also ignored the way Rin made fun of her as the girl sulked back to her seat. 

Rin was called up a few moments later, Yukio’s hands were on his hips as he handed his brother the quiz… marked with a two, “I feel sick to my stomach,” Yukio seemed positively murderous.

Rin winced, shoulders bunching slightly, “Sorry,” His voice seemed strangely small, unsure. That was new.

Rin began to walk back to his seat, a hand rubbing the back of his head as he looked over his paper, “Mr. Suguro.”

The monk stood and marched to the front of the class. He couldn’t help the dark glare he sent Rin’s way, nor the words that flew out of his mouth, “I couldn’t do that bad if I  _ tried _ ,” Yes, he had done that bad without trying. There had been times he had done that bad and  _ worse _ , “You’re too busy flirting with the girls. It’s disgusting,” He could hear one of his friend’s head connect with his desk in frustration. Rin’s nose wrinkled, the boy sliding into his seat, pouting.

Suguro smiled widely as Yukio handed over his paper and congratulated him. The boy couldn’t help the smug smirk that split his face as he turned and shoved the paper, which bore a large ninety-eight, in Rin’s face.

Rin gawked at him, his hands waving around in the air as he tried to convey his thoughts, disbelieving, “How? A guy like  _ you _ can’t get ninety-eight points! That’s impossible!” 

It took Suguro a moment to realize Rin wasn’t talking about the fact that he was a Phoenix, maybe he thought he was the only one and didn’t want everyone to know. Then another moment to realize what he  _ was _ talking about. Ryuji crushed the paper in his hand, “What?!” He shouted, fists balled at his sides, “I came here to study so I can be an Exorcist! Everyone here is trying their hardest,” Even with the odds stacked against the minority of them due to them being demons, he elected not to say that because of the attention it would bring to him, “A slacker like you doesn’t belong here, so beat it!”

Rin shot up, getting in his face, “Who are you to judge, Rooster?! I’m trying hard, too!”

Ryuji was just about to launch forward and grab Rin by the front of his shirt, although he wasn’t normally one to start fights in school, but he was known for doing so to defend others or when extremely angered. Now was one of those times. Shima and Konekomaru, Ryuji hadn’t noticed them stand, grabbed him by his arms and pulled him away from Rin while Yukio lifted Rin clear off the floor from under his arms.

Bon didn’t let being held back stop him from shouting at the boy who looked keen to do the same thing, “You’ve never taken class seriously! You’re always sleeping!”

“Come on, Bon,” Shima muttered as Konekomaru stuttered a plea, “We’re in the middle of class!”

Rin, who was fighting his brother to get back to the floor, hollered loudly as his brother coaxed Suguro on and nodded to everything he said, “I prefer action! I can only learn hands on!” Rin managed to rip his arms away from his brother and turn his back to Ryuji, attention on Yukio, “Whose side are you on?!” He squawked loudly.

Yukio crossed his arms, a dark look in his eyes, “Wanna take a guess?”

Yukio had dismissed class almost directly after the screaming match between the two demons, meaning their next class was Practical Training. Good, Ryuji really needed to blow off some steam. 

Shima slammed a hand on the locker beside his head in the locker room as they changed into their workout uniforms, “What the  _ fuck _ was that?!”

Bon shrugged, ignoring the unimpressed look from Shima, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He tried to brush it off and pulled a plain black shirt over his head, quickly trying to cover the clean scars decorating his ribs and waist.

“No,” Konekomaru said, arms crossed. He was swimming in the purple jacket given to him by the school, his hands invisible to the eye, “We haven’t seen you get that upset in a long time. It seemed like it was over nothing, as well.”

Bon scowled pulling on his jacket before facing them, “That kid doesn’t even try, and it’s annoying. There, happy?”

Shima sighed and slid his hand down from the cool metal of the lockers to his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose, “In every class we’ve been in, there have been slackers. But you didn’t give a shit-”

“Language,” Konekomaru murmured almost as an afterthought.

Shima continued as if nobody interrupted him, “-about them. What makes Okumura any different?”

Ryuji froze, he hadn’t thought about it that way. But, it wasn’t just the fact that Rin slacked off in class, it was the fact that he was a  _ demon _ who didn’t know what he was doing in a class where they  _ learned about demons _ ! Not only that, but he didn’t know what kind of demon that boy was. It was so strange, he couldn’t tell by smell like he’d been able to do for Kamiki and Yamada, though the latter wasn’t a demon. Rin’s smell was different, almost untraceable, like the boy was hiding it. But, he couldn’t tell why. He found his hand coming up to twist the Ankh pendant that dangled from a leather cord around his neck, another nervous tick he’d developed over the years.

Suguro sighed, “I don’t know, he just rubs me the wrong way.”

That got a smirk out of Shima who elbowed him with a coy smile, “I’m sure you’d love it if he-” The Pinkett wheezed when Konekomaru elbowed him in the stomach, hard. 

The younger boy’s glasses glinted dangerously, Bon gulped slightly as hard brown eyes turned to him, “You should cut him some slack. You have no idea if he’s dealing with something, or maybe he physically can’t focus. You used to be in a similar situation, remember? You hated it when people made fun of you because it was harder for you to read or focus. Maybe it’s something he never got help for.”

Ryuji ran his tongue over his teeth, face turned to the floor. Shima sighed and patted his shoulder, “Just try to be understanding. We all make mistakes!”

The excitable teen pulled them down the hall and to the courtyard, saying they should enjoy the air while they could. Shima eagerly skipped to the fountain before stopping dead and muttering a small, “Shit,” Before trying to push Bon back through the door.

Suguro glanced over his friend’s head and went slack jawed before grinning devilishly. Shiemi was leaning extremely close to Rin, who was trying to get away. His efforts were unsuccessful due to the vice-like grip Shiemi had on his arm. Bon pondered for a second before deciding he wanted to annoy Rin just a bit. Maybe solve the mystery of who this boy was in the process. He pushed past his friends, running a hand through his untamed hair, not at all trying to make it look better, before speaking up. Maybe he also spoke to get Rin out of the situation he was in, looking extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed, “Well, well, well, flirting again, I see.”

Bon could feel the half-hearted glare Shima was pinning on his back and elected to ignore it in favor of teasing the boy in front of him. Rin spun around so fast that Ryuji was pretty damn sure his head should have flown off, connected to his body or not. Shiemi flinched and stumbled back when Rin stammered, “No one-no one was flirting!”

Suguro chuckled, stuffing a hand in the pocket of his sweatpants, “Is she your  _ girlfriend _ or somethin’?”

He heard Konekomaru giggle under his breath and lean over to Shima, “He’s jealous.”

Ryuji took no mind in his friends making fun of him and continued, “Bringing your girl to an elite school for Exorcists sure is cocky.”

Rin looked peeved, scowling slightly, “She’s not my girlfriend! There’s nothing between us!” Shiemi looked between the two rapidly, seeming like she wasn’t sure who she should defend or if she should just watch.

Ryuji raised a brow, a coy smile spreading across his face. His voice portrayed that he didn’t believe Rin for a second, “Then is she just a friend? Hm?”

Rin looked away, a slight blush dusting his face. Ryuji thought he looked good like-nope, bad brain. Rin did  _ not _ look good, he could very well be an enemy and he couldn’t get attached to anyone here. It could put him, or worse, his mother and his kind, in danger, “She’s not a friend,” Rin growled lowly, and Shiemi looked extremely hurt at that. She carefully climbed down from the fountain and clutched her books to her chest. 

The demon ignored the girl and the way her shoulders bunched together, “Yeah, sure. I get it-”

“What about you?” Ryuji froze, more than a bit surprised as he panicked for a few seconds, “You’re always hanging around with those flunkies! Talk about dorky!”

Ryuji’s jaw dropped to the floor. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Shima’s hand press against his mouth before the Pinkett doubled over laughing. The Phoenix growled out a low, “Don’t laugh,” But it came out more like a whine.

Shima giggled loudly, clutching at his stomach, “But he’s right!”

“You agree with him!?” Ryuji shouted, feeling extremely betrayed with his friend. He turned a murderous glare to Rin, who was glaring just the same.  _ Man _ , Ryuji’s thoughts growled, echoing inside his head,  _ I can’t stand you! _

* * *

Ryuji was really regretting that promise he made to his mother about not going all out in Practical Training. Meaning he couldn’t bench a couple hundred pounds like it was nothing, or run a mile in a minute at full sprint. Long story short, if he didn’t want his mother to rip off his ears, he needed to tone it down and make it believable. Meaning, Rin was currently beating him. The boy was running ahead of him, but only by a meter. He was fast, and Bon could easily be faster, but he really wanted his head where it was thank you  _ very _ much.

Not only was Rin beating him, but a particularly fast Reaper was chasing from behind them. Rin cackled from ahead of him, blue-black hair whipping around his face and that ever-present sword bouncing against his back, “Slowpoke! Brains won’t save you in a fight!” The boy taunted, just out of Ryuji’s reach.

_ You won’t be saying that when I save your stupid ass in a fight _ , Ryuji thought, launching into the air and kicking Rin in the back, “In a fight, all that matters is who wins!” Rin howled in surprise, sprawling across the ground. Bon landed in a crouch, turning around just in time to see the Reaper launch at him, maw open wide. 

Suguro squawked and skidded away just as their teacher, Mr. Tsubaki, screamed, “Enough!” And pulled a lever which jerked the Reaper back. When the demon was safely away from the other two demons, the irony, the teacher shouted angrily, “Just what do you two think you’re doing?! Do you have a death wish?”

Rin gagged and spat out some of the compact sand they had been running on, sitting up behind him, “Yeah. What are  _ you _ doing?”

Suguro glared hauntingly at the ground, panting heavily, “I couldn’t let you beat me,” He admitted slowly.

From the ledge the rest of the class was watching, Shima cackled, “Dumbasses,” while Kamiki sighed out a bored, “Idiots.”

Mr. Tsubaki leaned over, pointing an accusing finger at the two boys growling obscenities at each other from the ground, “This isn’t a race! It’s to learn how demon’s move!” Rin raised a fist to punch Ryuji, the latter bringing up his foot to do the same, “Hey, hey! Pay attention!” 

In a matter of seconds the teacher, Konekomaru, and Shima were on the ground, each hauling their respective person back. Rin made a show of flipping Suguro off, being lifted off his feet by the back of his shirt, “What is it with you two?!”

Shima laughed nervously as he drug Bon back with Konekomaru’s help, “Sorry,” Bon, who went so far as to snarl feraly at Rin, continued to struggle until Shima cuffed him on the back of the head.

Suguro huffed, snapping to attention when Mr. Tsubaki cleared his throat, “Mr. Suguro, come with me,” Bon blinked before shuffling to the other side of the arena a few paces behind, “Are you all right?” Bon nodded, hands fidgeting with the prayer beads around his wrist. The older man seemed thankful, the monk couldn’t help but think the man wouldn’t be as thankful if he knew what he really was. Mr. Tsubaki waved a hand around beside his head as he continued, “Your grades are excellent and the teachers expect great things from you. So try to stay out of trouble.”

The boy nodded, catching Rin’s messy hair from above the teacher’s shoulder. He was talking to Shima and Konekomaru on the ledge. He sighed, “Why are you just telling me and not Rin?”

Mr. Tsubaki blinked, turning to the side only slightly to glance at Rin with something akin to poorly disguised disgust. Suguro narrowed his eyes at the man, he knew something about Rin. Just how many people did Mephisto tell? “Sir Pheles enrolled him specially. He said he had circumstances. Take some advice, avoid him,” That was the second person to tell him to avoid Rin in the last week. Just how  _ special _ was he? 

Mr. Tsubaki didn’t wait as he turned and shouted, “Resume training!” Just as his phone rang, hightailing it out of there a few minutes later after warning them against going into the arena.

Bon really wished he could bleach that conversation from his brain, he also wished it had been one-sided to his ears. The demon growled and crossed his arms, “What the Hell?! He calls himself a teacher? I thought True Cross Academy was a holy place of learning with  _ serious _ teachers!” He turned his gaze from the door their teacher retreated out of to Rin, “And the students suck, too!”

Rin scowled, hands shoved deep in his pockets, “Get off it, would ya?! How would you know how serious I am?”

Maybe he just wanted to get a rise out of Rin, see what he was. Maybe see just what he had been warned to steer clear of. Either way, he was going to figure it out, sooner rather than later when later could mean the death of them all, “Your attitude in class!”

There was a low, “Here we go again,” Somewhere behind him, but he paid no mind. That is until Shima blew out a long breath and continued, “Bon… you’re acting like a child.”

Konekomaru’s bald head bobbed, “Yeah, give it a rest.”

Ryuji’s fists balled at his sides, he wasn’t trying to be an ass or childish. But, he saw the bigger picture, something likely no one else did. If Rin didn’t get his act together now, if he didn’t know anything about the world he was about to step into, he could put himself and others in danger. Rin was a demon who didn’t know the first thing about them, and that could be used to the advantage of the things crawling in the dark, “Shut up, you two!” He didn’t turn, sneering to himself.

An idea picked at the edge of his mind as words flew out of his mouth, he knew his mother was going to murder him, but he didn’t hold the words back, “I’ve got an idea. If you’re so serious, then  _ prove _ it!” His pointer finger drifted to the arena where the Reaper sat calmly, “There. Go near the Reaper and touch him without getting attacked. Reapers read the emotions of people, if you waver you’re a goner.” And if you lose it because of a low level demon, I’ll know just how much of a danger you are. He, however, left that last thought unsaid, “But if you stay calm, it won’t hurt you. If you’re so serious about being an Exorcist, you won’t fear a little ol’ Reaper,” He pondered his own words for a second before crossing his arms, “I’ll do it too, and I’ll win!” If he did as he said, and knowing himself he would, he had just as much chance of losing it as Rin, meaning he was about to sign his death warrant. He was good at controlling his powers, sure, but emotions were a pain in his ass and he was never able to reign them in. Especially when a lot of them weren’t his own.

Rin snorted, a grin pulling at his lips, “Interesting… but no thanks,” The boy mimed picking his nose before crossing his arms, “What if I failed and died? Are you stupid?” The boy turned to look out at the arena, giving him the textbook definition you-are-so-stupid look, “I’ve got the same ambition as you, so I can’t die over something stupid like this.”

It took Ryuji longer than he’d care to admit to realize what Rin was saying. But, when he did, he turned a dark look to his friends, both of which gave Rin looks of betrayal, “You  _ told _ him?!” Shima tapped his fingers together, chuckling nervously. He turned, glowering at Rin. He was just making fun of him, his dream to make Satan pay! “Ambition you say? You’re just scared!” Why is everyone so weak?

For as long as he’d remembered, everyone had been scared of him, of them! They would avoid anyone from the temple like the plague, and there was nothing he could do about it. They would call him “cursed” and “dangerous” to his face. He  _ hated _ it! He remembered a time he’d almost shown them how dangerous he really was. How he’d barely managed to get away before everything went to shit. How lucky he was that people called it a wildfire.

“Why won’t you fight? Aren’t you frustrated?!” His feet took him to the edge of the arena, sliding down the slanted wall, “I’m gonna do it! Just you watch, Coward!”

There were a series of shouts from the ledge, even Rin screamed at him to come back. He didn’t. Izumo scoffed, “He’ll chicken out, what a dummy.”

Ryuji snarled, marching toward the Reaper with purpose. He was going to prove he could do it. With each step, he repeated the same words in his head,  _ I’m going to defeat Satan, I’m going to defeat Satan _ , “I’m going to defeat Satan!” and he just said that out loud. Shit, shit, shit, shit,  _ shit _ !

There was a loud snort and laughter followed, it was Izumo, “You’re gonna defeat Satan?! Don’t be a child!”

Ryuji was frozen, face to face with the Reaper as every bad feeling ripped into his mind. The hate towards people like  _ him _ , the fear when he burned that cabin to the ground, last year, _ everything _ . Burning lava tears pricked at his eyes,  _ Don’t laugh at me _ ! It was the same way he felt when that man laughed at him, threatened him, and Ryuji  _ killed _ him. When he burned down that small cabin in the woods, with that man and his wife, with their three kids. The feelings crashed down, guilt, shame, hate,  _ fear of himself _ . He realized his mistake too late.

The Reaper’s red eyes focused on him, it roared and launched at him. Faster than he blinked, Rin roared past him and intercepted the demon… with his  _ body _ . Ryuji screamed, “No!” Calling on something everyone like him would hear, a Phoenix Cry. The Reaper blinked between the two demons, each only realizing they were doing something while the other was left in danger. No one saw the flicker of blue in Rin’s eyes, nor the bright wave pulsing from Ryuji’s mouth as he shouted loudly, the latter concealed by the Duat. But, one person did see, and her face turned ashen.

Ryuji watched the Reaper step away from Rin, placant. The boy turned to him, glaring at Bon as he climbed to his feet, “What the Hell?! Just how dumb are you?” Rin’s arms crossed over his chest, “Now, listen up! I’m the one who’s going to defeat Satan, so stay outta my way!”

“You’re the stupid one! You coulda died!” Ryuji shouted, leaning forward to get in Rin’s face, “And don’t steal my ambition!”

“I didn’t steal anything, it was  _ my _ idea!” Everyone watched with something similar to amusement decorating their features as they watched the two bicker over their shared ambition. 

Shima smiled and nudged Konekomaru with his elbow, “I’m not sure if they’re gonna fall for each other or become really great friends.”

The bald boy hummed, putting a finger to his lips, “The former, definitely.”

* * *

Shura’s face was sheet white as she watched the two demons bicker. This was worse, this was so much worse. Both of them  _ lost control _ , maybe it was only for a second and invisible to the untrained eye, but she knew what she saw. And what she saw was Rin’s eyes flicker blue when that demon clamped down on him and the near invisible shock wave originating at Suguro’s mouth when he screamed, “No!” And when the Reaper  _ let go _ . She was done.

Shura gulped and slid down the door to her apartment which she had practically sprinted to after the end of class, she hoped to God someone realized that having two short-fused demons with no control over their abilities in one class was a bad idea. She hoped whoever found out managed to shut it down before they shut them down.


	6. Starting Fresh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is so late, I was busy with school and other stuff. But hopefully, it's worth it

Ryuji collapsed on his bed tiredly, his thoughts were too jumbled to properly sort through them. The boy sighed, face pressed against his pillow as he fished his phone from his pocket, calling his mother. Shima and Konekomaru were distracted with their own tasks, neither paying enough attention to focus on his voice.

“Hey Mom,” He murmured into his pillow, knowing she’d heard it by the delighted note in her voice.

“Ryuji!” Her smile was evident in her voice, “How’s school? Have you met anyone new? Do you like the classes? Oh, what about…” Bon smiled gently as he listened to his mom ask questions rapid-fire, her excited tone never once dropping.

The Phoenix chuckled, turning to lay on his back, “Slow down. School is great, but there aren’t many people in the Cram School. So far the classes are kind of easy,” Shima shot him a glare before turning back to his magazine, “Shima doesn’t think so,” The boy flipped him off. Bon muffled his laughs by pressing a fist to his mouth.

Torako hummed, her tone darkening slightly, “I heard your scream, why’d you use that? And please tell me you were alone! And don’t lie to me, I’ll know!”

Ryuji froze, sitting up to draw his knees to his chest and speaking quietly, “I was stupid and walked up to a Reaper in Practical Training when the teacher wasn’t there. I was kind of already angry so it didn’t help when someone laughed at me ‘cause I want to kill Satan.”

His mother was silent for a long period of time before finally breathing out, “Ryuji, you need to stop being so impulsive. Also, why didn’t you just run?”

Bon bit his lip, tasting the slight tang of blood on his tongue from his sharp fangs piercing his lip. His dark eyes darted around the room as if his mother was standing in front of him, scowling at him and he wouldn’t meet her eyes, “One of my classmates, Rin… he jumped in front of me and the Reaper bit him. I panicked because I didn’t want him to get hurt,” His eyes looked to his friends, checking they weren’t listening to the conversation, “Even though he’s a demon.”

“What?!” Torako screeched so loud he was pretty sure his friends heard that. Quickly, he jumped to his feet and scrambled to the hall and up the stairs to the roof so he didn’t have to worry about his conversation being heard, “What do you mean he’s a demon?”

Ryuji sighed, a frosty breath dissipating in the chilly night air. He proceeded to explain everything, the talk between him and Mephisto, the demons in class, that strange girl that seemed to watch his every move, even how annoying Rin was in class. His mother listened, quiet, until he finished with a low, “I don’t know what to do.”

Torako hummed, speaking gently, “Well, Mephisto is obviously up to something. I can see if Yaozo or Uwabami know anything, Mephisto likes to brag about his plans a lot. And, you don’t know what kind of demon Rin is?”

“No,” Ryuji admitted, head hanging low as he leaned against the railing, “I’ve been trying to figure out… just in case something happens!” He added that last part quickly. 

His mother giggled, obviously unbelieving, “Well, you should try being nicer to him. He stepped in when you were in trouble, and wants to defeat Satan too. I’m sure Shima or Konekomaru pointed this out to you, but he may not be physically able to pay attention in class. You understand that because you used to have a similar problem due to your Dyslexia. Maybe try helping him instead.” Ryuji rubbed at his temples, brows pinched tightly, “Also, talk to him! Who knows, maybe he-”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Ryuji squeaked loudly, having a damn good idea where his mother was going.

Torako belted out laughing, it was loud and boisterous. When she managed to suppress her laughter, she spoke in stifled giggles, “All right, be safe! And don’t  _ scare me like that _ !” His mother shouted loud enough for Ryuji to feel the need to rip the phone from his ear and hold it as far away as possible.

When he was sure his mother wasn’t going to yell again, he cautiously returned the phone to his ear, “Konekomaru is probably wondering where I went, I’ll talk to you when I can.”

Ryuji could imagine her pursing her lips stubbornly, “All right. I love you.” 

The boy smiled softly, “Love ya,” He ended the call, taking a moment to enjoy the night air before wandering back to his room.

Konekomaru looked up from a worksheet he was filling out, reminding Ryuji he still had homework to complete, “Who was that?”

Bon shrugged and sat at the desk beside Konekomaru, pulling out his notes and homework from today, “My mom, I just wanted to talk to her.”

Shima cackled and swatted him with his magazine, “Mama’s boy.”

“I really don’t see the problem with that,” Bon grumbled, smacking the magazine away from his face where he, unfortunately, had a direct line of sight to a buck naked girl. Ryuji gagged and closed his eyes, “That’s disgusting, Shima!”

The pinkett whined, “No, that’s hot!”

“You’re never going to get laid. I’ll warn any girl you talk to,” Ryuji teased, reading over his notes and highlighting anything he found important. 

Shima yelped in surprise and jumped down from his bed, “Bon, you wouldn’t!”

Ryuji’s eyes twinkled defiantly, a coy smile pulling at his lips, “Try me.” 

Shima pouted, sitting on the edge of Konekomaru’s bed, “Neko, he’s bullying me!”

“Good,” The bald boy said without missing a beat, “Maybe you’ll do your work then.”

Shima scowled and slowly grabbed his textbook, opening it to a random page and pretending to read, “You guys suck,” He mumbled under his breath.

“No, Bon does,” Konekomaru deadpanned. Ryuji spluttered, staring wide-eyed at his friend, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water as Shima howled and Konekomaru smirked at him, “That’s for being an ass today.”

Bon blinked before bobbing his head side to side, “Yeah, I deserved that.”

* * *

Walking into class the next day, Ryuji was more than surprised when he saw the stack of books Rin had beside him, even more so when he saw him reading one. Yukio’s arms were crossed over his chest, brows raised in confusion, “What are you doing, Rin?”

“I’m studying!” He shouted back, startling the younger of the two.

Shima nudged him forward, whispering in his ear, before skipping to join Konekomaru at their desk, “Now’s your chance, go talk to him before class starts.”

Ryuji grumbled and sauntered over. Yukio had a hand over his mouth, shoulders shaking and he seemed to be deep in thought, “Could this be an omen?!”

Rin’s head snapped up, sharp fangs bared angrily, “You got a problem with that, Four-eyes?!” The boy turned back to his book, grumbling when his hair fell across his vision. Rin pushed it back with a hand, face cast downward and eyes narrowed at the page, “My hair’s in the way!”

Ryuji stepped forward, opening his mouth to say something, but Rin beat him to it, “So, you gonna make fun of me, too?”

Rin’s cerulean blue eyes narrowed at him, one brow arched slightly. It took Bon a minute to realize he should speak before he made anything weird, a small blush creeping up his face, “Yesterday, I forgot to tell you. But, thanks,” Although he had it under control, he had to admit the boy did help him in a bad situation. Noticing how Rin was still holding his hair up, he dug the hair clip he used out of his pocket and offered it to Rin, “I use this to hold my hair back, I’ll lend it to you.”

Rin reached his hand out, taking it gingerly as his hair fell back into place. Ryuji walked back to his friends, Shima was snickering but Konekomaru smiled gently, “That’s… sorta weird,” Rin said, blunt as ever, eyes turned to him. 

Bon whipped around, hands resting on his hips, “What did you say?! I was being nice!” 

He collapsed in his seat and sunk down slightly, noticing the way Shima wiggled his eyebrows as he sang, “You like him.”

Ryuji cuffed his friend’s shoulder, glaring at the table in front of him. Konekomaru tapped his shoulder gently, when Bon looked, the boy’s head bobbed over to Rin. The monk sighed and glanced up, noticing Rin put the clip in his hair, turning to him excitedly. His blue eyes were wide and his cheeks turned a slightest bit of pink. With his hair up, his pointed ears were more prominent, he also looked way cuter than before.  _ Shit _ , he was so screwed, “Thanks, Suguro!” He smiled brightly before turning back to his book. Yeah, Ryuji was fucked.

* * *

The days were passing faster now that the first week was over. There was never another incident where his identity was almost revealed, nor one where they were put in danger that was uncontrolled. The classes got harder, but Ryuji found them easy to understand if you just paid attention. Rin, for all he was worth, seemed to be trying, he’d give him that. But he always needed things to be explained to him more than once. Ryuji took his mother’s advice to be more patient with him, even when he wasn’t helping the boy out.

Not only that, but Ryuji found his eyes drifting over to Rin on more than one occasion. Rin, unaware of what he was doing to the Phoenix, wore the clip all the damn time. It should be illegal for someone to be that cute. Not only that, but Ryuji was pretty sure he was going to develop a permanent bruise from how often Shima and Konekomaru elbowed him playfully when they caught him looking at Rin.

Currently, Ryuji was keeping his eyes glued, as well as he could, to his notebook. Yukio, who had dedicated the entire class period to studying, waved around a small stack of papers, “Summer break is almost here! Which means the Exwire Certification Exam is almost here. Exwires undergo special battle training, the exam will  _ not  _ be easy.”

Rin’s head cocked to the side quizzically, “Esquire?”

Shiemi shook her head, correcting him with a smile, “It’s Exwire.”

“Eggswire?” 

Ryuji rolled his eyes, smirking into his hand at the boy’s confused pout. Yukio continued to speak over his brother, “To help you with your exam, I will be holding an intensive study camp next week,” Yukio began walking around, handing out the papers he held in his hand, “Circle whether you wish to participate and fill in your desired meister by Monday.”

Ryuji scanned the paper, already filling in his answer. Shima snorted, doing the same. They’d known what they had wanted to be for a long time and talked about it excitedly when they were younger.

There was a rustle of paper beside his head, making him look up from his paper to Rin who’s eyes were staring nervously at him, “What’s a meister? Could someone tell me… please?”

Bon gawked, “You don’t even know that? Gimme a break!”

Shima chuckled, “You really don’t know anything, Okumura!”

Ryuji scowled at Shima dangerously as he watched Rin wilt, “Come on guys. Some people are just like that!”

Konekomaru smiled brightly, pushing away Shima’s comment easily, having no qualms in explaining as much as he could to the boy. Rin studied the trio for a second before breaking into yet another bright smile, “What meister are you gonna be?”

Bon looked between the two rapidly in shocked confusion, “When did you two get all friendly?”

His friend ignored him in light of answering Rin’s question, that seemed to be happening a lot lately. The ignoring part at least, “Shima and I are going to be Arias,” Shima waved his hand lazily as the bald monk continued, “Arias recite the bible and sutras to fight.”

Shima grinned and tilted his head to Ryuji, “Bon wants to be an Aria  _ and _ a Dragoon!” He chuckled lightly before adding a small, “His mother almost killed him when he said he wanted to shoot a gun.”

Ryuji glared at his friend halfheartedly, only half hearing Rin hum, “That’s very ambitious, Bon!”

The Phoenix blanched and growled, head snapping up to Rin, “It’s Suguro! You don’t call me Bon!”

Konekomaru waved away Ryuji’s words easily, “Anyway, Mr. Okumura is an Doctor and Dragoon.”

Rin blinked in surprise, a singular brow twitching slightly in surprise as he turned to look at his brother who was going over worksheets at his desk, “Wow, he’s… amazing,” Ryuji narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing a tang of remorse from the boy. Maybe it had something to do with the fight they’d had at the beginning of the year. The younger teen shook it away and rubbed the back of his head in frustration, “Which one should I choose? What is a Dragoon anyway?” 

Bon huffed, dragging a hand down his face, “Man, you’re a pain. A Dragoon fights with firearms while Knights fight with swords!”

Rin perked up, his face brightening almost instantly, “A sword? Then I’m going to be a Knight!” The boy grinned widely, stealing a pencil from Ryuji to circle his answer. The monk didn’t bother protesting.

Shima leaned across the table, smirking mischievously, “I thought we weren’t supposed to help him?”

“Shut up!”

Konekomaru tilted his head slightly, curious brown eyes catching on the sword hidden in the folds of the red fabric, “Right, you always carry that sword around. It would make sense for you to be a Knight!”

Rin’s head bobbed, “Yeah, it’s kind of an heirloom… of sorts.”

Ryuji noticed the way Rin’s eyes narrowed at the sword angrily, he couldn’t help but wonder what that was about.

* * *

Bon was going to develop a permanent eye twitch if his friends didn't stop poking fun at him for talking to Rin or getting distracted occasionally. They snickered with one another as their Magic Circles and Seals teacher, Mr. Neuhaus, drew on the ground with a large compass looking thing. Ryuji threw a glare to his friends just as the teacher finished the chalk circle on the ground, “We will now summon demons.”

The Phoenix had to bite his lip, hard, to keep from snorting and saying, “Why summon them when you’ve got four right here?” He tasted the faintest bit of iron on his tongue, swallowing it away without a second thought.

Mr. Neuhaus held out a hand when Shimei stepped forward to inspect the circle, “Don’t step on the diagram. Breaking it will render it useless,” Shimei paused and stepped back to where she had been standing originally. Mr. Neuhaus nodded, satisfied, before pulling off a bandage covering the entirety of his arm, “Summoning requires blood and the correct incantation,” He held his hand over the circle, blood streaming down and creating a small pool, “ _ Son of Typhon and Echidna, hear my call. Come forth _ !”

In a flash of black smoke, a bloody Naberius appeared in the circle. Black liquid dripped from it’s many open wounds and mouth. Konekomaru flinched, squeaking slightly as the Exorcist continued, shouting over the growling demon, “Only a rare few can summon demons to be their familiar. You must have a strong spirit as well as inborn ability!”

Shima clamped a hand over his nose, gagging loudly, “Ugh, it smells like Sulfur!”

Ryuji nodded slightly, too busy studying the demon, “I’ve never seen a Naberius before,” He marveled, head tilting to the side to inspect the demon at a different angle.

Shima scowled at him, voice sounding strange around his hand, “Study now, nerd out later.”

Ryuji pursed his lips, listening to the teacher who seemed to be sending untrusting glances at Rin, “We’re going to see if you have that ability. Earlier I handed out papers with magic circles on them. Drop some of your blood on the paper and chant whatever comes to mind.”

Kamiki wasted no time, confidently pricking her finger with a sewing needle and smearing it across the two papers she’d received, “Inari, I humbly beseech thee to grant my request!” Waves of white smoke rolled from the pages, forming the shapes of two Byakko foxes.

Rin gawked, mouth opened in surprise, “Woah! What are those? They’re cool!”

Mr. Neuhaus nodded his approval, “Well done, Miss Kamiki.”

“That’s amazing, Izumo!” Paku smiled, staring down at the demons then at her own paper, “I didn’t get anything.”

Izumo grinned cockily, “Of course! I have the blood of shrine maidens!” That explained why she had the distant blood of a demon in her. 

Ryuji looked down at his own page and bit his thumb with a sharp fang, pressing it to the page. He wasn’t sure if the chants his mother taught him would work on this, but he could try. He took a deep breath, biting his lip nervously, as he murmured a quiet Egyptian chant he’d known since he was little. He waited for a swirl of sand to fill the room and the familiar glow of hieroglyphs and the warm winds of the desert. There was nothing, nothing at all. Bon sighed, grumbling a low, “I got nothin’.”

Shima scoffed, staring at his page as if willing it to magically produce a demon. He seemed to be having the same amount of luck as him at the moment, “Same here.”

The sound of paper fluttering in the air grabbed his attention. Suguro’s head tilted to look to his side where Shiemi waved her summoning paper, green eyes shining as she awkwardly said a couple words, “Come, come, c’mere! Or something like that…” 

A tiny swirl of green spiraled from her paper before exploding into a tiny demon which resembled an equally tiny garden. It giggled out a small, “Nee!” as it drifted back down to rest on the summoning paper.

Mr. Neuhaus made a note of surprise, fingers scratching at his chin as he studied the demon and it’s tamer, “That’s a baby Greenman. Excellent, Ms. Moriyama.”

Ryuji noticed the way Rin’s hair bobbed on his head as he looked between the two girls who had managed to show their excellence at Demon Summoning. Damn, Ryuji kind of wished he could show them a  _ real _ summoning. Not that these weren’t, but the original types of summoning involving gods! 

Shiemi’s eyes bugged after a few moments, seeming that she only just realized she succeeded. The tiny Greenman lifted a light-green hand, or was it a paw, smiling gleefully, “Nee!”

Shiemi’s ever present blush grew slightly, the girl’s cheeks puffed happily. Her delicate hands lifted the paper closer to her face, blonde hair swaying as she tilted her head to look at the demon closer, “H...hi there!” The girl yelped when the demon lunged at her. Mr. Neuhaus and anyone else who’d been watching bristled, expecting the demon to attack. The demon latched onto a thick lock of hair, swinging slightly.

Ryuji sighed and focused on the pout set on Shima’s lips, “Damn, how do they do that?”

Konekomaru shrugged, “No idea.”

There was a low, shocked breath from the strange boy beside him, “So not fair.”

Suguro blinked at Rin, watching him cross his arms and give the tiny Greenman a baffled look. The demon rolled his eyes and turned away from the strange boy. He continued to glare angrily at his paper while Shiemi tried to talk to Izumo, his attention didn’t turn when their teacher began to speak, seeing as how most of it he already knew.

Ryuji didn’t entirely return his focus to anything until the end of class when Shima draped himself against his side, “Those girls must be magic and do some voodoo to summon those demons!”

Konekomaru pushed up his glasses, the glass glinting in the light, “Actually, it’s the natural talent they have. Something you don’t possess.”

Shima gasped, “Neko! You wound me!”

Ryuji rolled his eyes, adjusting the band in his hair to remove loose strands from his face. There was a light tap of tired feet from behind him, announcing the boy who appeared out of the corner of his eye. Rin’s arms were crossed, his face twisted in an adorable pout, “How do they do that?”

Bon raised a brow and looked at the younger teen, “Hell if I know,” He lied, something he did more often than telling the actual truth. He’d long since lost the nervousness of lying through his teeth and guilt when he did so to his friends, “They’re probably just lucky,” Inwardly, he cringed. He knew it had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with one’s skill and raw ability and power.

Rin grumbled, “They make it look easy.”

Shima, who had paused his bantering with Konekomaru, cackled and punched Rin’s shoulder goodnaturdly, “Don’t worry, my man! We’ll get plenty of chances to do other things as exorcists-in-training!”

Rin blinked and smiled slightly, something beneath his shirt twitching. Ryuji blinked, eyes narrowed at the younger boy. Neither of his friends seemed to notice and continued to talk with Rin about their classes and the upcoming study boot camp for the Exwire exam. Bon sighed, brushing it off as a trick of the light and turned his attention back to Rin who had been distracted by Izumo, Paku, and Shiemi walking past. 

Izumo’s head was held high, a proud smirk adorning her features. Her violet hair billowed behind her in the double spirals she wore them in near constant. Paku was skittering behind her friend, shoulders hunched in something akin to embarrassment or guilt. The brunette was giving Izumo a disapproving stare as they walked to their next class with Shiemi in tow. The blond was clutching her school sack to her chest, her hand gripping to a new bag Ryuji recognized as Izumo’s. Shiemi was smiling brightly, her green man demon laying on her head and giggling down at his tamer happily.

Rin blanched at seeing them, eyes following Shiemi and the way she bounded after the two girls as they made their way to class. The demon raised a brow, head cocked to the side as he spoke out in alarm, “Shiemi looks like a servant for that girl with the polka brows!”

Konekomaru snorted in surprise, “‘Polka brows?’ Do you mean Kamiki?”

Rin nodded, glaring daggers at the violet haired girl. Bon sighed, ignoring the girls. At this point, he really didn’t care. He just wanted to make it until the summer break without another eye-opening dramatics act. Although the Reaper was technically his fault, “They’re just playing,” Ryuji noticed the way Rin’s lips pursed. He must really care for Shiemi. He couldn’t really be surprised, she was kind-hearted and wore her heart on her sleeve. It also seemed that they’ve known each other for a while. The Phoenix sighed, feeling the worry drifting off the younger boy in waves, “I’m sure she’s fine,” He murmured in a smaller voice than before. 

Rin blinked and looked at him curiously before nodding and sauntering to their next Cram Class. Shima jabbed at his side playfully, “Where did that unexpected kindness come from?”

Ryuji scowled deeply, was it so unusual for him to give a fuck about people who were worried? Apparently so, “Shut up ya damn strawberry,” He grumbled before storming to the classroom.

The rest of the week was seemingly quiet. But he did notice the way Rin practically seethed as Izumo ordered Shiemi around. Ryuji’s eyes narrowed at the violet-haired girl. She seemed to act differently with Shiemi, almost like she hated the blonde for some reason. By the time class was over on the day before the boot camp, Rin was practically boiling. The boy stomped out of the room directly after Izumo all but ordered Shiemi to buy her food after their last class of the day.

Suguro glanced at his friends, Konekomaru looking just as shocked as he felt. Shima, on the other hand, was staring into space with a dreamy smile on his face. Ryuji grimaced, he didn’t feel like finding out  _ what _ was making his friend that… happy. 

Konekomaru rolled his eyes and leaned forward, head tilting to Izumo who was ignoring the bell and continuing to read, “Should we talk to her?”

Bon huffed, “Probably not.”

“You’re go-”

“I’m going to anyway,” Ryuji cut his friend off and stood, stalking over to Izumo with purpose. 

He heard a loud, “God damnit, Bon!” But promptly ignored it in favor of staring down at Izumo, his face scrunched disapprovingly.

The girl grumbled and looked up, “What do you want, idiot?”

“Why are you treating Moriyama like that?” He crossed his arms, head cocked to the side as he assessed the girl with a dark look.

Izumo looked Suguro up and down then scoffed, “What are you talking about?”

“The way you’re treating Moriyama like your personal slave,” He heard one of his friends hiss from behind him and the other facepalm.

The violet-haired girl cackled loudly, “She’s not my slave. She does it because she wanted to, that’s her own fault. It doesn’t make her my slave,” Izumo stood abruptly, getting in the monk’s face and looking very much pissed.

Ryuji sneered, his brows creasing together, “Then you might want to start treating her like a person and not something annoying you have to deal with. You want to order her around? Fine, not my problem, but at least treat her better.”

Izumo startled, eyes widened slightly before her gaze hardened, pinching angrily, “Why do you care?”

Suguro hummed, eyes narrowed, “Cause you don’t,” He growled lowly. 

The girl scoffed, hip cocked to the side, mimicking the way Ryuji stood, “Listen here, Smartass! I don’t care what you think! I’ll do whatever the hell I want, so stay the hell away from me!” Izumo snatched her stuff and left with one final snarl towards the Phoenix.


	7. Fighting Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, this is so late everyone, I kept forgetting to upload even though I had written this chapter awhile ago. Etsuko is back in this one by the way.
> 
> Edit: SO SORRY ABOUT THE FORMAT FROM BEFORE. I FORGOT TO UPLOAD USING "RICK TEX" INSTEAD OF THE "HTML" WHICH YOU HAVE TO CODE. AGAIN, SUPER DUPER SORRY ABOUT THAT!!!

“Is he trying to blow his cover?” Shura grumbled, hand running down her face in exasperation. She was walking to the old boy’s dorm which looked more like a haunted building than an actual place people lived in. It wasn’t even summer break yet and she already felt like she would pull out her hair from the stress she was being put under. 

Shura had thought Rin would be the issue, seeing as he was new to the whole demon business and the son of  _ freaking Satan _ ! Surprisingly, it was steadily becoming harder to deal with  _ Suguro _ . Shura didn’t know why exactly, but had a pretty good idea.

Suguro was a full blooded demon with almost complete control of his powers, at least that’s how it seemed most of the time. Not only that, she was sure he was watching her just as much as she watched him. And if that wasn’t enough, he had  _ everyone _ fooled. She was the only one that knew something was up, even if she didn’t know fully. 

Shura had thought Suguro would try to keep quiet as a way to keep his head where it belonged. But no! He goes and confronts Kamiki and pisses her off in the process. Fucking perfect. 

The exorcist was about this close to going to the nearest bar and getting completely plastered. Actually, that sounded like a good idea! Shura promptly turned and sauntered to the nearest bar to do exactly that, deciding Yukio could take care of the Pages for the time being.

* * *

Ryuji was glaring down at the mock test Mr. Okumura had given them. He knew most of it, but just doing it was draining his mental capacity for the day. Rin was whining across the small table they were using, the demon biting at the end of his pencil and squinting at the words on the page. Izumo was sitting by the black-haired boy, diligently working on the quiz. She paused and looked up, her red eyes locking with Ryuji’s before sneering and looking back at her paper with a self-satisfied smirk. 

The Phoenix sighed and angrily continued to fill in answers, his tail tightening around his chest instinctively.

Ryuji had just finished the last question when he saw Yukio glance at his watch and stand, “Time’s up. Turn in your papers. That will be all for today.”

Suguro groaned, looking up as Rin climbed to his feet and staggered from the room with a weak, “I’m gonna get some air.”

The monk nodded his head slowly before resting it against the table, “Yeah, good idea,” He mumbled, watching the boy disappear down the hall from the corner of his eye.

Almost immediately, Izumo jumped up, clutching her bag to her chest and exclaiming loudly, “Let’s take a bath, Paku!” The brown haired girl smiled, standing with her friend before Shiemi popped up and shouted, jogging after the two.

Ryuji winced, rubbing at his ears. He really didn’t appreciate the loud volumes with the migraine that had slowly been developing over the course of the week. He just hoped it would go away soon. The demon looked up blankly when Shima giggled perversely, watching the girls walk away with dreamy eyes, “I’ll have to peek in!” He sighed dumbly to himself, “This is why I love sleepovers.”

Ryuji gagged, returning his head to it’s place on the table. His hand waved around, blindly pointing to his friend, “You’re a monk, jackass. Give ‘em some space!”

Konekomaru sighed, seeming to be the only one to notice the state Ryuji was in, and patted his back gently, “Classic Renzo, not understanding social boundaries.”

Ryuji’s lips quirked slightly, listening to the way Shima gasped dramatically, “Aw, common guys! Don’t act like you’ve never wanted to peek!”

The boy scowled, a weak glare painting his downcast face, “No, ‘cause I respect their privacy and don’t feel the need to look in on them!”

He could  _ feel _ Shima leaning over the table just as much as he could tell the pinkett was smirking deeply and wiggling his eyebrows, “Don’t act like I don’t see you checking out the-”

There was an unusually loud sound of Shima getting smacked on the back of his head. He assumed it was from Konekomaru considering what Shima had been on the verge of saying. Though, Ryuji didn’t really care if anyone who was still around heard. If they had a problem, they could stick it up their ass.

Shima squawked loudly, probably holding the back of his head, “You hit me!”

“Yes, I did,” Mr. Okumura hummed. So  _ he _ hit Shima, interesting, “Suguro is right. Be respectful of your classmates.”

“Chillax man! You’re a student, too!”

The subtle sound of Yukio adjusting his glasses was just barely drowned out by his voice, sounding more than a little annoyed, “I don’t engage in frivolous pursuits.”

Ryuji would have cackled at the outraged noise Shima made, if it weren’t for the way it sent daggers through his head. The boy winced and pushed himself to his feet, making a lame excuse before stumbling away. He didn’t know where, just  _ away _ . He needed to get as far away from the noise of his friends, classmates, and teacher as possible. 

He ended up in a random room a few floors up. It was just as rundown as the rest of the building and looked like any other dorm room. Ryuji groaned and wrenched the curtains closed. They weren’t perfect and still allowed light to seep through, unlike the ones at home that blacked out the entire room when closed. 

The Phoenix sighed, collapsing on the floor and pressing his hands against his ears harshly, trying to ignore all the  _ noise _ . It was days like these where he hated living. It would take days to recover from overloads like this, leaving him feeling both useless  _ and _ in pain. He normally curled under the covers of his bed, pressing his face into his pillow and using his wings, if he could, to block as much light as possible. Sometimes his mom would be able to pause work to just sit beside him.

He actually kind of wanted to call her, but the sounds from the other end would only make it worse. Now that he was alone he let his tail unwind and lay limply on the wooden floor. Ryuji took a deep breath, trying to block out everything possible, but he couldn’t. The leaky pipes roared in his ears, the voices of his classmates and friends screamed deafeningly. 

The Phoenix curled himself into a ball, tears welling in his eyes at the amount of pain, but he refused to cry because that would only add to the amount of noise. His vision swam and his body shook because God this was horrible!

A soft knock sounded at the door, slicing through the endless thoughts spiraling from the monk’s head, “Bon?” Konekomaru’s voice was soft, likely because he knew any louder would send daggers into his friend’s head.

The demon staggered to his feet, disorientation twisting his vision enough to force him to brace his hand on the wall as he slowly pushed the door open, quickly tucking in his tail with sluggish movements. Through squinting eyes, he saw the sympathetic looks from Shima and Konekomaru, the former smiled slightly, “Hey, man. Teach was worried.”

Ryuji nodded slightly, massaging his head roughly. The pinkett grimaced and handed him a bottle of pain pills, “You left this in your bag, thought you should take some.”

Ryuji thanked him lowly as he clumsily opened the bottle and downed more than any human should. Thankfully his friends were used to this and chalked it up to him being in a lot of pain or taking them so often that he built a tolerance. Either way, Ryuji was grateful that they didn’t pester him about it.

Shima rested a hand on his shoulder, his head tilting in worry, “Should we tell Yukio you’re not feeling well?”

Bon gulped and shook his head, if he became an exorcist, he could not let his pain get in the way of a mission. Especially when it put others in danger. This is exactly what he murmured to his friends, ignoring the disapproving looks they trained on him. 

Konekomaru went to scold him, his finger pointing at Ryuji accusingly, until a loud scream pierced the air. Ryuji froze and looked up, squinting at the hallway, “Did you guys hear that?”

The bald monk blinked, his mouth still trying to form the scolding words from before, “No?” Shima drug out the syllable, following Ryuji’s gaze to the end of the hall, “What was it?

“I thought I heard-” Ryuji cut himself off when a loud crash followed by a wail filled his ears, “Please tell me you guys-” He looked at his friends who only looked concerned and immediately cut himself off. That was the only answer he needed before tearing down the hall despite his pain.

“B-Bon!” Konekomaru cried out, frantically chasing after him as Ryuji bounded down the hall and jumped down the stairs, “What’s going on?”

Ryuji turned for a split second, seeing the way his friends were racing down the stairs after him, and growled, “Get Mr. Okumura!” before disappearing around a corner in the direction of the bathroom. He should have known the peace and quiet of their class would have gone out the window sooner or later, he was just hoping that would happen closer to the end of the year, or you know, never.

The Phoenix paused in front of the bathroom door, wondering how much trouble he would get in since it was the girl’s bathroom, before barging in and taking in the scene with shock. Izumo was kneeling on the ground with her summoning papers lying uselessly ripped on the floor. The girl looked dejected, shaking with fear and doing nothing but wrapping her arms around her bare body. Paku was laying on the ground with Shiemi bent over her, the blonde frantically applying Aloe to painful-looking burns on Paku’s skin. Past them, in the enclosed tiled shower area, Rin was pinned beneath a two-headed Naberius, groping around for his sword, which was just out of reach.

Ryuji didn’t even think and launched himself at the demon, sending it across the room, away from the girls and Rin. The latter panted, grasping at his throat as he gasped for air and pushed himself to his feet. Bon helped him up, “You o’ay?” Ryuji winced at the way his words slurred as the world tilted slightly. He really of wanted a lie down, but the growling from the  _ hole in the wall _ reminded him that lying down was probably the last thing he should be doing. 

Rin nodded slowly, a small smile tilting his lips, “Thank you? Is Yukio on his way?”

Suguro shrugged, “I was the only one who noticed.”

Rin’s shoulders sagged, taking a deep breath and turning to the Naberius. The demon was crawling to it’s feet, teeth bared with black sludge dripping on the floor and sizzling the wood.

Ryuji gulped and, out of some instinct, pushed Rin behind him even though he knew the boy (he was pretty sure he was a demon at this point but didn’t know for sure) could fight well enough. Rin made sure to show his displeasure by grumbling and trying, key word being “trying” to stay in place, but it was obvious Ryuji was just as strong as him. Ryuji missed the baffled and confused look Rin gave him behind his back. The monk glared, his vision was tilting badly and he could feel his control on his glamour, the only thing keeping his appearance  _ human _ , slipping, “Okumura, get the girls outta here while I distract it. I’ll buy you some time.”

“I’m not-” Rin squawked in surprise when the Naberius lunged, having forgotten about the danger they were in. Ryuji pushed Rin to the side, taking the full force of the demon’s hit and getting slammed into the wall.

Ryuji gagged, nausea rolling his stomach into knots. The Phoenix gulped down the acid building in his throat and shakily pushed himself to his feet, just in time to see Rin slamming his sheathed sword against the Naberius like a baseball bat. 

Bon took a deep breath and lunged, rearing his fist back and punching the demon in one of it’s overly-sized heads, “Use the damned sword!”

“I can’t!” Rin seethed, continuing to swing at the demon while Ryuji landed a kick at the thing’s head.

The Naberius froze, looking between the two of them, like it couldn’t decide which of them to kill first. Ryuji made the choice for it, “Over here, Ugly!”

The Naberius roared in outrage and slammed into Ryuji full force, pinning him to the wall. Ryuji groaned, his nose wrinkling at the monster’s horrible breath now wafting up his nose. The monster’s mouth opened, drool dripping from it’s mouth as it garbled incoherently.

Until it spoke: 

**Ę̵͓̩͙͎̐̀̒̆͂̉̕g̸̛̹̬̜͙̟̲̑̽̒̿͘y̸͉͈̍͑͗̉͒͌p̶̝̻̰̪̆̍̕ẗ̷̮̗̰̺̞̯́̈͑̇i̷̧̹̭̹̼͓̾͆̄͂̏̏ą̸͑̓̈́͋͑̿ǹ̴̩͙͍͓̏̿̓̏͒**

Ryuji’s eyes widened in horror, his mouth opening to respond when gunshots rang through the air. The boy yelped, his ears ringing from the close proximity. The Naberius shrieked and jumped through the window, spraying glass everywhere. Ryuji sighed in relief, staggering on shaking legs. He would have fallen on his face if it hadn’t been for Shima and Konekomaru grabbing his arms to steady him carefully. 

Yukio rushed over to Paku, hand hovering over her arm where slimy Aloe leaves coated the burns from the Naberius. The exorcist glanced at Shiemi’s familiar, blinking multiple times before turning to it’s master, “You did good, Shiemi. If untreated, this temptaint could have led to death. She would have died without you,” The blonde startled, looking down at her friend worriedly. 

Yukio sighed, pushing himself to his feet and turning to his brother. Rin’s eyes glanced past his brother and to Suguro’s tired form. The older twin stormed over, pushing past his brother and getting in his face, “Are you crazy?! You could of died!”

“You’re welcome,” Bon mumbled drearily, catching a glimpse of the worried look on the boy’s face, hidden behind false anger. The monk was in no mood nor state to figure out what that was about and tilted his head, grimacing in pain, “Could ya keep it down or wait ta yell at me till tomorrow?”

Rin squinted, his nose wrinkling before storming past his twin to check on Paku and Izumo, the latter of which was around the corner crying near-silently. Yukio sighed, stepping in his brother’s place in front of Bon and his friends, who he was leaning against quite heavily, “Suguro, are you alright?”

Bon nodded mutely, almost immediately regretting it when a wave of nausea built up in his throat. Yukio turned away, bending down to pick up Paku bridal style. Ryuji gulped down the bile rising in his throat, hardly noticing their teacher call Rin a flasher because he was missing his shirt. Ryuji was sure he’d have become a blushing mess, but he wasn’t exactly coherent enough to care at this point. Not even enough to look and see what Rin was hiding behind his back. 

Yukio ended up guiding all the Pages from the bathroom and down the hall. Except the girls were the only ones who made it to the hall, “I think I’m gonna puke,” Ryuji mumbled, pressing a fist to his mouth.

Konekomaru and Shima quickly guided him to the boy’s bathroom just in time for him to hurl in one of the toilets. Shima gagged, “I love ya, man. But I’m going to go or I’m gonna puke too.”

“Shima, you’re useless,” Konekomaru deadpanned as the pinkett bolted from the room, the door slamming behind him. The bald monk huffed, rubbing Bon’s back gently as he heaved painfully. The Phoenix groaned, resting his head on the back of his hands which gripped the back of the toilet to steady himself, and hopefully ease the throbbing in his head.

Ryuji panted, grimacing at the foul taste in his mouth and the sounds coming from many floors up and outside. Konekomaru continued to rub his back, whispering, “Should I get Mr. Okumura?” Ryuji was thankful for his friend keeping his voice low, having been there many times when he overloaded, though his friend thought it was only a migraine, though both were just as bad.

Bon nodded slowly, fearful that if he moved too much he’d puke again, “Fuckin’ hate this,” He murmured. Konekomaru nodded and bolted from the room, his sneakers slapped the floor all the way to one of the rooms Ryuji assumed Paku was in. 

The Phoenix pressed a hand to his ear when Konekomaru started talking, Shiemi’s chipper voice joining in while Rin loudly exclaimed, “What?!”

Great, they were probably all coming. Hopefully Konekomaru managed to persuade them to only let Yukio come, the others were kind of loud all the time. The noises pulsed in his head, forcing him to double over and empty his already empty stomach again. 

The door pushed open and Konekomaru was kneeling beside him again, Yukio close behind. The young exorcist looked panicked, “What happened? Did the ghoul get to him? Was he-”

“‘S jus’ a migraine,” Ryuji grumbled, his head shifting to rest on his hands.

Yukio opened his mouth, releasing a tiny breath of relief, “The best thing you can do is take some painkillers and sleep. I can excuse you from school tomorrow seeing the-”

“No, it’ll be better by morning,” Suguro grumbled, looking up at his teacher. The monk’s face was paler than normal, his hands shaking slightly from being sick so often. 

Yukio raised a brow but nodded slowly as he climbed to his feet, “I need to go check on Paku. Tell me if he gets worse,” The last sentence was directed to Konekomaru, who, upon seeing Yukio having left the room, flicked Ryuji’s ear.

“You should take tomorrow off!”

“Can’t,” Ryuji grumbled, finding the nausea had faded and slowly picked himself from the floor. Konekomaru huffed in annoyance, giving him the best,  _ You’re unbelievable _ , look possible.

Ryuji staggered to the sink, wiping off his face and rinsing his mouth. Konekomaru stayed by his side the entire time, patiently waiting as his friend cleaned up. The Phoenix sighed, running a hand down his face, meeting Konekomaru’s eyes in the mirror, “Thanks,” Ryuji grimaced at the brightness of the lights.

Konekomaru narrowed his eyes and grabbed the Phoenix by the wrist, “Close your eyes,” Ryuji nodded, squeezing his eyes shut as his friend guided him through the hall and to the room they had claimed as theirs for the entire week of this study bootcamp. Ryuji risked opening his eyes and found the room was at least the tiniest bit darker than the rest of the building. 

Shima was at a desk, boredly scanning a textbook Bon had practically forced him to bring. The pinkett looked up, glancing at Bon’s face, “Dude, you’re not gonna puke again, right?”

Ryuji pursed his lips, glaring at his friend, “Dunno, but I’ll aim for you if I do.”

Shima recoiled, his book slamming shut as he skiddered away from the Phoenix, “Don’t you dare!”

Konekomaru snorted, grabbing Shima’s textbook and tossing it to their perverted friend, “That’s mean, Bon. Aim for his porno magazines,” Ryuji’s mouth quirked at the deadpan expression on the bald monk’s face. 

Shima pouted, crossing his arms angrily, “I don’t know why I put up with you guys.”

“Cause you love us,” Ryuji smirked, watching the way Shima scrunched his nose in mock annoyance.

“That’s a very strong word. Sure you know what it means?” Konekomaru taunted, jabbed at the demon’s arm.

Ryuji gasped dramatically, “Choose a side, Neko!”

“Save the drama for the stage, Chicken,” Ryuji scowled at his friends. Cheeks puffing in a pout.

“Betrayed by my own friends, what will I do?!” Ryuji flopped on one of the beds for the sheer dramatic-ness of it. Despite what others may think, Bon could be extremely dramatic when he wanted to. 

Shima chuckled before popping up like he just remembered something, “Oh, Okumura came by while you lost your lunch earlier. He seemed worried.”

Ryuji blinked, picking his head up so he could look at the pinkett, “What?”

“Yeah, he wanted to see if you were alright. I told him you were just dealing with a migraine.”

“Why would Okumura be worried about me?”

Shima shrugged, “Dunno. Should have seen his face though, priceless!”

Ryuji’s brows scrunched together, Rin was worried about him? Why in the Hell was he worried about him? He wasn’t exactly the nicest to him when they met, so why? The monk’s thoughts went away when Konekomaru and Shima started cackling about something he didn’t know. 

“What’re you laughing at?”

The two looked at each other then back to the Phoenix. Both of them wore goofy grins, answering in unison, “Nothing!”

Ryuji raised a brow and slowly reached for a book, “Yeah, sure.”


	8. Rising Questions and Meddlesome Habits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which someone meddles and someone begins to question

Despite having a killer headache, Ryuji spent most of the night tossing and turning. The thing was, he knew why. He wasn’t used to hiding this long. Back home, anytime he was alone or with someone who knew, he didn’t bother using his glamour to look human. He even slept without it. 

But, now that he was surrounded by more people, none of which knew aside from that clown of an exorcist who would hopefully keep his mouth shut if he wanted to keep his head, he couldn’t risk anything. He slept with the glamour, though it was so draining it felt like he stayed up all night, he didn’t risk letting his tail out, even if he thought he was alone, much less his wings and ears. It was bad enough his eyes flashed if he wasn’t careful enough to control his emotions, and he was pretty sure people had seen them on more than one occasion. 

Ryuji sat up, glancing at the sleeping form of his friends. Shima was snoring loudly, a magazine resting on his face. The monk sighed, grabbing his phone in case he felt like talking to his mother and crept from the room. Calling his mother had become a normal thing for him to do before he slept or when he had the chance. 

Ryuji glanced around the hall, careful not to make any noise for fear of waking one of his classmates up. The monk wanted to let his tail out, but he was too scared someone would wake up and see, that would be hard to explain and would likely result in him being doused in Holy Water, which, mind you, doesn’t work on anything born from a religion of more than one god. Egyptian, for example.

The Phoenix managed to find the stairs, creeping up them for fear of waking someone else. After managing to get to the roof undisturbed, he slowly pushed the door open to the empty area. Ryuji sighed in relief, shutting the door behind him as he let his tail unwind. The long limb was sore from staying in the same position for the last few days.

The monk groaned, rubbing at the tight muscles while he looked out to the city. True Cross had quieted down significantly since the sun sank below the horizon, a few cars sped down roads, but mostly it was empty. Ryuji bit at his lips before pulling his shirt off, chanting quiet words in the still night. The familiar rush of the glamour ebbing away was a blessing. His huge wings spread from his back, the red and orange feathers were dark, blending with the black and brown splotches at the downy joints and scattered around the feathered masses. Ryuji sighed, rolling his shoulders as he stretched his wings, giving them small test flaps that sent spirals of wind whipping around him.

The Phoenix pulled out his ear buds, hiding them in a corner with his shirt. His long, feathered ears flicked around, tuning into the sounds they picked up from the city below. Ryuji sighed, the tension in his body ebbing away. It always felt like this when he was able to let go, when his body wasn’t put under the impossible weight of hiding the truth of his life.

Ryuji tilted his head to the sky, breathing in the night air. He could feel his head beginning to clear from the heavy thoughts that had been swimming around since the beginning of this school year courtesy of the pressure to hide and his secret dangling over his head because of Mephisto.

Ryuji’s fists clenched, he needed to remember to clock the bastard next time they were alone together… or maybe in front of people if he snapped. Either way, the clown would have a noticeable black eye and maybe a broken nose. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.

The Phoenix licked at his lips, his huge wings spread wide before rocketing him into the sky. Ryuji whooped, barrel rolling and arching his back to flip backwards. His bright feathers were a stark contrast to the night sky despite them not being on fire. 

Ryuji smiled, his body tilting to dive bomb the city, darting and weaving through the backstreets and alleys. He wasn’t dumb enough to go near the main roads and side walks. The boy managed to come to a sudden stop at the apartment window above the hair salon. Ryuji perched on the sill, tapping on the window which allowed the view of a cozy living room.

A familiar figure peaked out from the kitchen, amber eyes glaring at the Prince as she stormed over, ripping open the window as her tail snapped around in annoyance. Ryuji quietly noticed there were only two stalks, not three. He wondered what that was about, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Etsuko whisper-yelled. Her red hair was flying from her bun in messy curls, somehow looking brighter than the feathers of her ears, “Are you insane?! And why aren’t you wearing a damn shirt?”

Ryuji cocked his head to the side and shrugged, “I was bored. Also, I didn’t bring any of my shirts with wing holes.”

The woman wrinkled her nose and grabbed the Phoenix by a feathered ear, pulling him into the apartment before slamming the window closed and pulling harshly on the curtains, “Your mom is going to kill you.”

“Shocker,” Ryuji grinned widely, his feathers ruffling as the huge wings folded loosely on his back, also using them as a way to partially cover his body like a cloak to hide the all-too-noticeable scars along his tanned skin.

Etsuko scowled, pinching the bridge of her nose, not seeming to notice the scars or understanding that she shouldn’t ask, “Honestly, I’m not surprised. I knew you’d be stopping by soon. You were also shouting while flying, so I heard,” She sighed dramatically, “Next time, just call me so I don’t almost shit myself when someone knocks on my window which is three  _ stories off the ground _ !”

Ryuji blinked, rubbing the back of his head guiltily, “Sorry about that.”

Etsuko sucked at her teeth before rolling her eyes, “Your mother wasn’t kidding, you really are a handful.”

The Phoenix blanched before shouting an offended, “Hey!”

The woman snorted, “I had a feeling you’d be coming over anyway. Your mother said you liked being around others, so she told me to keep an eye on you.”

The boy flushed, he loved his mother but did she have to go and tell people blatantly that he had separation anxiety? For fucks sake! Ryuji tilted his head to the side, “How’d you talk to her?”

“I have my ways,” Ryuji raised a brow. Etsuko sighed and pointed to a small, crystal statue shaped like an Obelisk. Ryuji made a silent “oh.” Contrary to popular belief, Ancient Egyptians had managed to tap into the natural power of the gods and use it for themselves in the form of magic. Any beast, including Phoenix, and humans could use it if they trained. Obelisks and Pyramids, however, were an easy way to channel magic, one use of this was the easiest magic to use, transportation magic. They channeled Ra’s aura to power them so others could use them. It was the same for a Magician’s staff, which Ryuji had left at home along with his other magician stuff. As the Prince, he kind of had to know his stuff so he could protect the Phoenix and Magicians. Meaning he had to be damn good at magic instead of just glamours and the occasional transportation spell.

Etsuko rolled her eyes, dragging Ryuji by his wing to the kitchen, although she managed to be a little more gentle because she quite obviously understood wings were sensitive, “If you’re here, you might as well help me bake.”

Ryuji’s eyes widened in horror as he took in the explosion of flour and dough strewn across the counters, “Uh, that’s a bad idea.”

“Uh-huh, you trespass, you help.”

“You don’t understand,” Ryuji grimaced, training his eyes on his feet, “I set water on fire last time I tried to cook.”

Etsuko blinked, watching Ryuji in surprise for multiple seconds before seeming to find her voice again, “Water?”

Ryuji glanced at his feet, shuffling side to side, “Yeah.”

“On  _ fire _ !” Ryuji nodded slowly, looking up through his thick lashes to the Phoenix. Etsuko bit her lip, fighting back a smile, “Your mom wasn’t kidding. You really are hopeless.”

The teen pursed his lips in a pout, his feathers ruffling in the way they did when he got flustered. Ryuji’s face flushed while he stammered out a low, “I really wish you guys didn’t meet.”

Etsuko flicked his already abused ear and pushed him in front of a counter, “Kid, you need as many people to keep your idiot head on as physically possible. And your mother is the King, of course I was gonna meet her, eventually," the last part was strangely quiet, sounding shameful. Before Ryuji could ask, Etsuko perked back up, her ears tilting cockily, "Now, you can make cookie dough balls without setting anything on fire, so help your subject out.”

“Do  _ not _ say you’re my subject,” Ryuji murmured in annoyance, beginning to do exactly as the woman had asked. It always made him uncomfortable when someone treated him like he was more important because of a damn title, even if people were only joking around.

Etsuko put up her hands in surrender, “Chill, kid,” Her gold eyes narrowed, Ryuji noticed as an after thought that she hadn’t brought out her wings yet. Maybe she didn't like the feathers that got everywhere, “Your mom wasn’t kidding. You really don’t like your title, huh?”

Ryuji threw his dough-covered hands into the air, “Oh, my  _ Rā _ ! What  _ didn’t _ she tell you?”

Etsuko smirked, “Can you blame me? We got on like a house on fire! She’s a very nice woman, I kinda wish I had met her sooner,” The ginger tapped a finger to her mouth, a coy smile playing at her lips.

“I’m surprised you hadn’t. Most Phoenix think that they should see us every few months just because we’re… ya know…”

The woman snorted, her hands pausing their work from rolling cookie balls to playfully punch his shoulder, “Yeah, well, I’m not like most Phoenix.”

Ryuji ran his tongue over his teeth in thought, “Now that you mention it, I don’t think I’ve seen you around the Nome at all, or even the annual stuff I'm required to attend,” He paused a moment before looking to the side in thought, “I actually don’t understand why we have those anymore.”

“Oh, and you remember each face?” Etsuko teased, her hip cocked to the side while she ignored the last thing Ryuji said almost as an afterthought.

Ryuji shrugged, only just noticing the way the tension he hadn’t realized had been there began to ebb away at the carefree banter, “I tend to hide in the stone alcoves or rafters.”

“Really? You don’t take me for someone to hide from social interactions.”

“Are you kidding me? I almost passed out when I had to order our train tickets at the terminal to get here!”

Etsuko blanched before letting muffled giggles through her lips until it was full fledged howling. Ryuji flashed a lopsided smile, allowing it to grow wider instead of dialling it down to hide his fangs. He hadn’t felt this calm since the last night he got to spend with his mom, just two Phoenix relaxing with each other and enjoying each other’s company. The boy sighed, smiling to himself. He couldn't help the relief at having someone like him close by that was actually nice to be around.

* * *

“Shit man,” Shima gawked at the Phoenix as he staggered into the room, dead on his feet and equally as tired. The pinkett waved around his hands wildly, gesturing to his friend, “Did you get zombie-fied or something?”

Ryuji blinked, his brain not processing the words like normal due to the amount of sleep he got, or lack thereof, “What are you… talki- what are you talking about?”

Konekomaru marched up to the demon and grabbed him by the shoulders. The shorter boy glared up at his friend, his lips pursed as he gave Bon the Disapproving-Friend look. The monk licked his lips before calmly asking, “Did you sleep at all?”

Ryuji’s nose scrunched while he thought over the question. He hummed slightly while he thought before settling with the answer that would ensure less pain on his part, pain that would come from his short friend, “Define ‘sleep.’”

That turned out to be the wrong answer because Konekomaru promptly swatted him upside the head, “Bon! You weren’t feeling well yesterday! That was not the night to decide not to sleep.”

“I didn’t  _ decide _ ,” Ryuji pouted, managing to push past his friend so he could throw his bag over his shoulder and walk out the door, “My body did.”

The bald monk grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pinning a dark look on his friend, “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“School?” Ryuji’s brows knit together in confusion, his head tilting to the side.

Shima snorted, “In your pajamas?”

Bon blinked and looked down at his clothes. He was barefoot, for one, and sporting baggy flannel pants and an equally baggy t-shirt. The Phoenix pursed his lips, before shrugging, “The teachers can suck it.”

There was an exasperated sigh before Shima pushed passed his steaming friend and pulled the demon back into the room, closing the door behind him, “So that Neko doesn’t blow a fuse, you’re going to change and explain,” Shima paused, narrowing his eyes at Bon’s shirt, “And since when did you own that shirt?” Ryuji glanced down at the shirt that read “In my defense, I was left unsupervised” in bold letters across the chest. The boy shrugged.

Konekomaru huffed, arms crossing across his chest, “Explain.”

After a long time of explaining in slurred words and confusing hand gestures, he managed to convince his friends he had sat on the roof all night and that he had owned the shirt for a long time, which was bullshit. After only an hour of being with Etsuko, she had gotten annoyed and threw one of her shirts at him and ordered him to put it on. He’d actually thought it was cool because it was one of those ones that had a glamoured back so his wings could be out without the holes. Ryuji had tried doing that to all of his shirts, so had his mother. But he had never been able to use magic to change inanimate objects, that didn’t include anything holding magic because magic was considered another type of life. The rules of magic were confusing and annoying to understand.

His mother, on the other hand, was freaking amazing at summoning spells, it was almost like her calling. She’d even managed to get on the good side of one of the most, no, the most, bloodthirsty goddesses in existence. It might have something to do with attending a yearly meeting of all the gods in the world, but who knew. It wasn't like Ryuji hadn't befriended some gods as well. They tended to hide out in a corner during gatherings as well, something they had all bonded over. Ryuji had also been too afraid to ask anyone else for help with his shirts because he knew they’d go scrambling to please their prince, even if he could just buy some. 

The Phoenix had ended up staying with Etsuko most of the night, both of them stuffing themselves with cookies while they played round after round of an ancient game called Senet. This resulted in sour looks and silent death threats, they were both extremely competitive if you couldn’t already tell.

By the time Etsuko had shooed him from her apartment, Ryuji was drained but smiling like an idiot. He had tried to fly to the old boy's dorm the same way he had come, but when he tried to land, he freaked because someone else was on the roof, Rin. The boy had been laying on his back, gazing at the clouds as a gentle breeze rustled his hair. He looked so calm like that, with no one else around. Ryuji had been hovering above the roof, out of view from the boy.

Rin’s brows had creased as he slowly reached for his sword and sat up. Ryuji cursed diving to hide behind the small building with the door to the dorm room’s below. The Phoenix tucked his wings in as closely as he could, his tail puffing anxiously. He could hear Rin creeping forward, the quiet tap of his sword being raised defensively. 

Ryuji murmured a hasty spell, “ **_Ȧmem ȧu u beqsu_ ** ,” This was the spell he used when activating his glamour, it meant “Hide from their eyes.” Ryuji sighed looking behind him to check the spell had worked. He expected to find his wings gone, revealing the cement of the wall, cracked from years on ware. He was instead met with the soft feathers of his wings.

Ryuji blanched, reaching up to feel his ears, his  _ feathered _ ears. The demon immediately began panicking, glaring down at his hands fearfully as he chanted the spell again and again and again. His glamour was failing him, and he couldn’t feel his magic. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. 

The boy could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his breathing picking up as he shook his hand wildly like it would help, “Come’on come’on come’on,” He whispered to himself, trying to stop hyperventilating while pleading for his magic to return. He could hear Rin creeping forward, drawing closer to the spot Ryuji was hiding. 

The Phoenix gulped frantically murmuring any word he could think of, most of which were just that same word on repeat because he was too scared to think, “ _ Asta, _ ” Hurry. Even if it wasn't a spell, it made him feel better to say it.

He hissed the word for the millionth time, shaking his hands and head to try and pull his magic back. What was going on? It was like his magic had just up and left, like it disappeared with the snap of some fingers. 

“Who’s there?” Rin shouted, he was closer, nearly rounded the corner. Ryuji pressed his hand to his mouth to muffle his panicked breaths, he was already freaking out so the last thing he needed was for Rin to find him and find out and maybe tell people which would end in him getting caught and put on trial in front of the Grigori which would expose his mom and Etsuko and all the others and-

Ryuji’s thoughts were cut off by a pained cry coming from the blue-eyed boy. A more chipper voice squeaked, “Oh my god! I’m so sorry, Rin!”

Rin groaned, a low growl emitting from his throat, “Watch where you're swinging that thing!”

The chipper voice, Ryuji recognized as Shiemi, huffed shyly, “Why were you standing in front of the door?”

“That’s none of your business!” Ryuji risked peeking around the corner for only a moment. Rin was bent over, holding his head in his hands. His sword had dropped to the ground when the door swung into his face, Ryuji resisted the urge to run through the door and to the safety of a bathroom where he could hide and panic in peace. But all of that would risk him being seen by not only Rin and Shiemi but anyone else in the building as well. 

Ryuji ducked back around the corner just as Rin looked up, the demon pressed himself as close to the wall as possible. He could practically feel the way Rin’s eyes trained on the wall, almost like he was trying to see through it. The demon inwardly thanked Shiemi for being so friendly and chatting up a storm, unaware that she was creating a distraction. 

It didn’t last long seeing as Shiemi was trying to do laundry. She gave a cheery goodbye and skipped to the laundry lines, leaving Rin alone and free to rush forward and find Ryuji. Just as Rin was about to round the corner, Ryuji yelped out the spell he’d been frantically trying to use for the past few minutes. There was a forceful rush and the snap of his wings disappearing into his back as his ears pulled painfully, shrinking as his body changed back faster than he’d ever seen a glamour take hold in his life. 

Rin whipped around the corner, sheathed sword raised, ready to destroy anything. The boy froze when he saw Ryuji look up as if he had been startled. The latter was just trying to keep his tail hidden behind his back, out of sight and kept in place with the painful grip Ryuji had on it.

Rin blinked, watching him for a few seconds before tilting his head to the side in confusion, “Suguro? What are you doing up here?!”

Ryuji flushed slightly, turning his head to the side to avoid Rin’s startled eyes. He couldn’t help but like the way Rin looked at him, shining blue eyes looking only at him. Ryuji mentally smacked himself for that thought as he mumbled a low, “I could ask the same of you.”

The boy stood there for a second, leaning to the side to see what Ryuji was hiding behind his back. Ryuji shifted to block the boy’s view. Rin growled out in frustration, repeating himself when he couldn’t see what the monk was hiding, “Why are you up here?”

“Reading!” Ryuji blurted out the first thing that came to mind, hoping Rin would give up. The teen didn’t, having a strangely high level of patience. 

Rin leaned forward, eyes narrowed, untrusting. He didn’t believe Ryuji’s lie, this was not good, “Reading what?”

“A book?” That should not have come out as a question. Ryuji gulped as Rin stepped forward, glaring at the demon. Ryuji, in turn, took a step back.

Rin grimaced, “No you weren’t,” The boy crossed his arms, leaning back slightly. Ryuji breathed out in relief at the loss of proximity, “Otherwise you’d actually have a book,” Rin glanced down at Ryuji’s clenched fist, which was empty, “And I doubt you’re hiding a book behind your back.”

Ryuji winced, “I was studying?”

“Bullshit.”

Ryuji clenched his jaw, painting a glare on Rin, “Look, I don't have time for this. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to get to class. You should do the same,” The demon pushed past the other, trying to stuff his tail in his pants before Rin caught sight of it as he ducked through the door.

In the hallway, Ryuji could feel his rapidly beating heart slow, coming down from his adrenaline high and leaving him weary and more exhausted than before. He rested his head on the door to the room he was currently borrowing with his friend’s, tears stinging his eyes. 

He could only think of one thing to describe the situation he just put himself in.

He was so screwed.

He had been so distracted by the faultiness of his magic and being practically backed into a corner he just narrowly escaped from, that he never remembered the earbuds bundled in his shirt that he had left on the roof the night before. 

Nor did he stop to think that someone had found them and that his entire situation just made a full 180 from where it started. Him having everything under control and easily controlling anything possible, to everything spiraling and being in control of someone else. It was almost like someone else was controlling the game, someone who was having way too much fun.

* * *

Mephisto hummed from his perch far away from the old boy’s dormitory, too far away for Suguro to take notice, but close enough that the older demon could witness the work of an old friend of his. The friend was sitting on the metal beam beside him, looking bored as he twirled a gnarled wooden staff through the air. The staff was almost as tall as it’s owner with many cracks and holes. It looked like it was barely holding together, “Why did you want me to do this?”

The man’s voice was monotonous, never bothering to turn his attention to the demon. Mephisto’s face twisted, a self-satisfied grin adorning his features, “Because, old friend, I think you just found a way to control a nasty pest. And help you get something you have been wanting.”

The man sighed, climbing to his feet and pulling a small, crystal Obelisk out of thin air. He hummed, looking the crystal over before placing it in front of him, “You mean you just backed someone into a corner?”

“Not someone, something,” Mephisto clasped his hands behind his back, watching as the spell wore down, allowing a certain demon to hide his true form just in time. 

“Be careful,” The man held out his hand, chanting something in a tongue Mephisto could not identify, “You know how to find me.”

“Farewell, Old friend,” The man disappeared in a swirling vortex of sand and inky black matter. Mephisto hummed, watching as Suguro ducked into the building hurriedly, leaving Rin to watch in shocked confusion. 

The clown hummed, bringing a small bundle up to his face so he could view two small buds wrapped in the center of a worn shirt, “Interesting,” Mephisto grinned, gingerly grabbing the buds as he dropped the shirt to the ground far below. He had seen Suguro wearing these the night he confronted him as well as in the first day of class. The demon did not know for sure why the boy wore them, but they seemed important. Even his friend had said so, saying they wreaked of magic. 

The demon had managed to snag them when he saw them left in a bundle on the roof with no one else around.

Mephisto promptly crushed the devices in his fist, “Let’s see how you get along without these, Mr. Suguro.”


	9. Haunting Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things turn for the worst and we get a little more on Ryuji's back story.

Ryuji was freaking out. After groggily getting ready for school, he’d manage to slip away for a second to race back up to the roof and grab his earbuds. There was only one problem, to grab them, he actually needed to  _ find them _ ! He’d swept the entire roof to no avail, it was almost as if they had disappeared in thin air.

Ryuji had eventually given up, his shoulders hunched as he walked with his friends to the first class of the day, one he shared with Konekomaru. Shima waved them goodbye as they split up to walk to their respective classes. 

The demon was subconsciously pulling at his ears, nerves jumping with anxiety. He still had a mild headache from the night before, and now there was no way to dull it down. His foot bounced rapidly, the teen missing the way his friend leaned forward from the seat beside him, sending him worried glances at the lack of attention Ryuji was giving to the teacher. 

Ryuji’s head had turned to look out the window, too focused on the wailing sirens and laughter in the distance. The demon’s hands clasped at the edge of his desk, knuckles going white. There was more that he could hear, terrible things that he couldn’t do anything about. Screams and pleas and venomous words mixed in with the laughter and calm chatter. It wasn't a good combination. Those people down there, going about their day like normal, they had no idea they were walking past an alley where a woman was having her life ruined as she screamed for help. Or past a house with a screaming wife and sobbing husband pleading for her to stop.

His hands were shaking badly, heat pushing at the back of his eyes. He fought back the tears brimming in his eyes, threatening to spill over his cheeks and onto his desk. This was why he wore his buds and even cast a spell on them to make them work better. The physical pain was only part of the reason, the big one is he heard _everything_. And the bad stuff was always louder than the good. The abuse and violence and pleads and  _ screams _ . 

Ryuji stood abruptly, drawing the attention of everyone in the class to himself. The demon gulped down the lump in his throat and choked out a weak, “I need to go,” Before speed walking from the room. 

The second he was in the barren hall, he sprinted to the nearest bathroom. He was quick to lock the door behind him after checking that he was alone. Ryuji’s chin wobbled before he sobbed, curling into himself, his back sliding down the wooden door.

The demon brought his knees up to his chest, fiery tears leaving burn marks on his face that stung against his soft skin. Sobs wracked the boy’s body as he clamped his hands over his ears in an attempt to muffle the sounds from the surrounding cities. He was distantly aware of the bell dismissing the students from their first class, then another to signal the start of the second. Ryuji didn’t budge, staying holed up where he was, curled up as tightly as possible, tears sizzling as they touched the white tiles and skimmed his uniform.

Ryuji didn’t bother to notice the way his phone buzzed every few seconds, each somehow sounding more urgent and worried than the last. The demon had no idea how long he’d been in there, crying in misery only he himself knew. He heard horrible things, every sound screaming in his ears. A young girl wailing, accompanied by the sound of fists slamming into her body. People were screaming at each other while someone cried in the background. Taunts that bordered on death threats that were way too close to the sound of cracking bones to be in different areas.

Those sounds, those horrid sounds, brought on the memory of screams forever ingrained in his head. They were years old sounds he’d never forget, the crackle of fire and crush of people under the roof of the burning cabin. A child, barely a year old, wailing as trees surrounding the cabin caught fire, sending the forest ablaze. He had been standing there, shell shocked as he watched the family burn to death and choke on the pitch black smoke.

Ryuji screamed, trying to drown out the sounds, the memories, out with his own cries. It worked, leaving his ears ringing with warm liquid running from them. The Phoenix slowly looked up from his knees, pain pulsing through his head. His hands slowly lowered from his ears, both covered in a streams of blood.

Ryuji gulped, he hadn't done that in a long time. When he was younger, he would hide away, screaming himself deaf for hours. It didn’t last long because of his healing, but that hour it took to heal, that precious hour was the equivalent of heaven on Earth.

His mother had gotten so upset once she finally found the source of the screaming, he was really good at hiding. She had immediately invested in the ear buds for the both of them, that as well as keeping a closer eye on him.

Ryuji glanced around the room, dazed and not really thinking straight, heh,  _ not thinking straight _ . The demon staggered to his feet, feeling delirious and out of it, glancing around and dully noticing the way the mirrors had shattered, raining glass along the sinks and floor. 

The demon hummed, managing to trip his way to the sinks, staring down at his distorted form in each shiny shard. Ryuji could hear his adrenaline rushing through his ears, drowning out the already muffled sounds around him. Slowly, he reached forward, gingerly grasping at the sharp glass that slid along his palm, slicing his skin, but not enough to draw blood.

Ryuji swayed on his feet, sharp teeth piercing his soft lips, “Sorry Mom,” He murmured, remembering the promise he made to her many months ago after she found him with slit wrists collapsed on the bathroom floor. He’d held up to that promise, but he just couldn’t take this anymore. Ryuji gladly welcomed the sting of pain as he slid the sharp edge across his exposed forearm. Again and again, the glass slid across blood slicked skin, crimson liquid flowing into the sink and down the drain. 

Ryuji was about to lift the dress shirt of his uniform and add to the collection of scars, both self induced and not, along his torso when his phone rang loud, startling him enough to drop the tool. The boy glanced between his blood slicked arms to his phone which had fallen to the floor, at what point he couldn’t remember. The demon gulped, slowly reaching for the device, seeing his mother’s face on the screen. Ryuji blanched, he couldn’t answer her right now. She would hear it in his voice, the slur of the left over adrenaline, the anxiety pulsing through his veins.

The teen reached down, pressing the “decline” button, hoping she would think he was in class. But he knew that wouldn’t happen, because she knew something was wrong. Whether it be from their bond, or the fact that Konekomaru and Shima probably texted her when he didn’t answer the texts he was just now seeing on their shared thread, or that she heard him.

**Neko : Bon, are you alright? You left really suddenly**

**Shima : What do you mean? **

**Neko : He left class**

**Shima : Bon… left class**

**The apocalyspe has come**

**Neko : You spelled that wrong**

**Shima : Shut up! Why are you worried about my spelling**

**Worry bout Bon!**

**Neko : Bon, seriously. You good?**

**Class just ended and you’re still no here**

Ryuji gulped, noticing the way Konekomaru’s spelling and grammar left as he started getting worried. Mentally, he reminded himself to apologize later.

**Shima : I just looked in his 2nd class, he not theer**

**Neko : Im gonna ignore the fact that you skIPPED CLASS**

**Shima : Stap worrin about me!**

**Bon, I swear to gd**

**god^**

**Neko : Bon, I have your stuff**

**Now get your ass over here**

**Youve missed 3 classes, what is happening?**

**Holy shit, i think he was kidnapped!**

**Shima : He wasn’t kidnapped, Neko.**

**Neko : But what if he was!**

**He could be i n a warhouse and being tortured!**

**Shima : … calm down, I’m still looking for him.**

**Holy shit, did you hear that!**

**Neko : Bon, something happened!**

**Shima : What was that?!**

**Did someone just scream!!**

**Holyshit holyshit!**

**Neko : The glass in my class just freaking SHATTERED**

**Bon! We dont knw WHat’s happening but you need to get here… now!**

**Shima : I can’t find him any where**

**Neko : Bon, im calling your mom!**

**Why didn’t you answer her?**

**Shima : Shit, man! Where are you?!**

Ryuji gulped, slowly texting his friends back, his fingers shaking from the cuts, taking him longer to type than normal.

**Bon : I’m here**

**Neko : Bon!**

**Shima : You’re not dead!**

**Neko : What the fuck happened?!**

**Are you alright?**

**Youre not hurt are you?**

**Bon : … i’m alive**

**Shima : That didn’t answer the question**

Ryuji glanced down at his bloody skin, the blood had begun to dry, making his skin itchy. The monk resisted the urge to scratch at them and bring himself more pain. He didn’t want to lie, but he had to. He never told them, five people in total knew about his cutting, and he was going to keep it that way.

**Bon : I’m fine, sorry for worrying you guys.**

**I wasn’t feeling good so I thought some air would help me**

**Shima : … you weren’t outside**

**Bon, wat’s going on?**

Ryuji cursed, sometimes he really hated when they could tell something was really wrong or when he was lying (thankfully they didn’t notice the I’m-a-human lies). The demon bit at his lips, a grimace pulling at his face.

**Bon : Can we not talk bout this rn?**

**I promise I’ll tell you guys when I’m ready**

Or never and just hope to god they forgot about this, which was unlikely.

**Neko : Bon…**

**Bon : Seriously, please don’t make me talk about this**

Ryuji knew that was probably the worst thing to say and would only lead to more worry. Which would, in turn, lead to pestering and his friends keeping a closer eye on him, leaving even less wiggle room than he already had. 

But, at the moment, Ryuji didn’t care. He ignored any more texts from his friends, focusing on the ones from his mother coming in every few seconds.

**Mut/Mom : Ryuji, Miwa just called me and said you left class and is really worried, what happened?**

**Ryuji, why aren’t you answering the phone? The others aren’t having luck either.**

**RYUJI SUGURO ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE!**

**What’s going on? Are you huryt, did something happen??**

**Ryuji**

**Ryuji please… you’re in pain, just tell me why**

**Baby please…**

**Just tell me you’re safe**

There were more. Missed calls and texts alike. Most of them were from his mother, pleading with him to answer the phone and just be safe. Others were from Yaozo or Uwabami, even his dad who was probably at the temple or drunk. He even saw a few from Juuzou, Kinzou and Mamushi. All of them probably hearing from his friends or obviously panicked mother.

Ryuji gulped before calling his mother, holding the phone slightly away from his ear, which was now a pool of crusted blood.

The phone barely rang once before his mother answered, screaming worriedly, “Ryuji! Are you alright? What happened, you screamed, why did you scream?! Oh, my god, are you in danger? Is ther-”

“Mom?” Ryuji’s voice was small, barely a whisper. He could hear the way his mother took a sharp breath.

“Everyone, can you get out for a few minutes?” There was a sound of sighs and worried agreements accompanied by socked feet, “Do you want Yaozo to leave too?’

Ryuji shook his head before realizing that he needed to speak. He swallowed the lump in his throat and squeaked out a small, “Yes, please,” His voice cracked, words dying in a breath.

There was another pad of feet after his mother relayed his answer to Yaozo before she focused back on him, “Ryuji, what happened?”

That was all it took, Ryuji burst into tears again, hunching his shoulders and hugging his arms around himself. After a few minutes of pitiful cries and his mother gently whispering words, yet sounding upset herself because she wasn’t there to hug her little boy. Ryuji managed to force out garbled words that were barely recognizable, “Ma, I just wan’a go home!”

There was a startled pause before a soft, “What?”

“I can’t take this anymore!” Ryuji put his head against the wall in front of him, forcing out as many words in one breath as possible, “I’m so scared and everything’s so  _ loud _ ! I can’t take it! It’s so horrible here! And I keep almost gettin’ caught and Mephisto knows and I’m scared he’s gonna do something and I almost lost control of my glamour. Then it just didn’t work and Rin almost caught me and I can’t find my earbuds and… I’m just so scared!” Ryuji broke off into ugly sobs, hugging himself tighter until he winced as his claws dug into his arms.

Torako gently shushed him, “It’s alright, Sweetie. You can come home.”

Ryuji sobbed in relief, his breath slowing as he calmed down slowly, “Tha… thanks, Mom.”

“When would you like me to come?”

“Would tomorrow work? I should probably tell my teachers,” That last part was whispered, barely audible.

Torako hummed, seeming to be thinking, “Of course, Sweetheart. Just call me when you’re ready to go.”

Ryuji breathed a sigh of relief, “Okay,” He thought for a few more seconds, feeling relieved that he’d be getting away from this hell, “I should go find Neko and Shima, they’re probably really worried.”

He could hear the smile in his mother’s voice, “Alright, I’ll call you later.”

Ryuji nodded, about to hang up before remembering something he should tell her. He pushed the phone against his ear, desperately hoping his mother hadn’t hung up, “Mom?”

There was a pregnant pause followed by a gentle, “Yes?’

Ryuji swallowed thickly, stuttering out a small, “I’m sorry for screaming, I promised you I would stop doing that.”

He remembered the day his mother had found him. He was just shy of eight years old, holed in a concealed corner, crying over and over “Make it stop,” as each harsh sound hit him like a slap to the face. His mother had found him after hours of him screaming, rupturing his eardrums again and again and again after each time they healed. She had been so scared when she found him, trying to remove him from the small closet. He had kicked and screamed, refusing to leave the quietest corner of his mother’s inn where he stayed with her when she worked. 

She had needed to call one of her friends, a young Phoenix named Emile who was amazing with healing and charms. It had taken three people to remove him from the closet. Yaozo who was trying to coax him out, his mother who was talking in panicked Ancient Egyptian to Emile, and finally Emile, who had had enough and eventually knocked him out with a spell. 

For a long time, he had been wary of the woman for that, but she had enchanted the earbuds so the farthest away he could hear when wearing them was from the inn to the temple in the forest. Without the charm, they basically didn’t work. 

Emile had come by to visit almost all the time after that. She was from Australia and, because of the language barrier between most Phoenix, they all tended to speak Egyptian with each other to make it easier. Emile had ended up becoming so close to them that Ryuji even started calling her his aunt.

God, she was probably worried sick, seeing as she was likely one of the first people his mother called when he didn’t answer.

His mother sighed gently, “It’s not alright, but we will talk about it later. Right now, I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Ryuji nodded mutely, whispering a small, “Thank you.”

His mother whispered her goodbye just as Ryuji hung up. The Phoenix pocketed his phone and looked down at his arms, he whispered a curse. This was something else he promised his mother he wouldn’t do, something he started after what happened at that cabin when he was ten. Something he kept a secret until a few months ago.

Ryuji pushed his bloody sleeves up higher, running his arms under water, scrubbing harshly in an attempt to rid his skin of the red staining liquid. It took longer than he would have liked, and his uniform was going to be permanently stained. He’d have to bleach it or something, maybe he could get a tip out of Etsuko. 

Ryuji glanced to the spot the mirror had previously been. A few shards, larger than the ones strewn across the sink and floor, were still embedded in the wall. Despite the odd way his reflection appeared, Ryuji could see just how horrible he looked. His cheeks still had lingering lines of black that were already lightening to become the same shade as the rest of his face. His eyes were red and his hair stuck up at odd angles from pulling at it.

The Phoenix felt something brush against his leg and flinched badly. His head twisted to glance behind him, only to be met by his three-stalked tail. All three furred limbs were puffed up to the size of Ryuji’s forearm.

The monk gulped, he hadn’t even noticed the limbs unwind from around his waist. The last thing he needed was for his tail to stop listening. He quickly shoved it back under his shirt, hoping nobody would notice the strange line around his waist. 

Ryuji took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair before pulling the sleeves of his jacket down, buttoning the black fabric in front of his shirt in an attempt to conceal any blood he hadn’t noticed. 

He slowly unlocked the bathroom door, pulling out his phone to text Konekomaru and ask where they were. He knew they had probably started skipping their classes looking for him. 

It took barely a second for them to reply, saying they were in the courtyard by the fountain. Ryuji, feeling exhausted and drowsy, pulled the door open and trudged to the fountain on tired feet. He barely noticed the strange looks he got and the way people gave him a wide berth. 

He knew he looked a mess, hair askew and dull eyes puffy with tears. 

Konekomaru and Shima were sitting on the edge of the fountain, backs turned to their approaching friend. Ryuji sighed, collapsing between the two of them. They jumped, turning to him in surprise. 

Konekomaru was the first to speak, “Bon! Are you alright?!”

Shima was next, “Have you been crying? What happened, what’s wrong?!”

The demon took a deep breath, staring blankly at the ground. Konekomaru leaned forward enough to look in his eyes, “Do you want to talk about it?” Ryuji mutely shook his head, missing the concerned looks his friends shared with each other. 

Shima sighed, opening up his arms, a silent invitation. Ryuji took it, letting the pinkett hug him as he buried his pounding head against Shima’s shoulder. Behind him, Konekomaru sighed before he shifted and hugged the Phoenix from behind. There was a long moment of silence before Shima murmured a low, “You don’t have to talk. Just know that when you’re ready, we’ll be here.”

Ryuji nodded, although he knew one thing for certain. He was never,  _ ever _ telling them about any of this. That was the one thing he knew for sure, and he’d be damned if he let that last sliver of hope get wrenched from his grasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plz don't kill me!!


	10. Constant Worry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is soooooo late.

Ryuji slipped into his seat for Cram School. Since his complete meltdown, he’d managed to calm down a bit. One of the reasons for this was that the Cram School was somehow sound proofed against everything outside it’s barrier. Mind you, it was still annoying as fuck because of the demon’s running around along with other classes. Though, it was significantly better.

Shima and Konekomaru had been hovering close to him, keeping an eye on him while simultaneously copying down notes. The strange thing was, he wasn’t getting called out for not paying attention. Maybe his mother already contacted the school and told them he was dropping out so they weren’t concerned, or they just thought he was having an off day. But, the most likely reason was that they didn’t notice.

The reason for this was probably because they were too focused on the equally unfocused girl across the room. As if to punctuate their point, their Scripture and Recitation teacher called her for the fifth time, this time the girl finally noticed. Ryuji had noticed how spacey the girl had been when she’d practically blown off their teacher in the class before after he’d asked her to complete the magic circle.

Kamiki jumped to her feet, shouting a loud, “Yes, Ma’am?!”

The teacher’s cat, which had been perched on the woman’s shoulders, blinked it’s eyes open before going back to sleep. Their teacher sighed, “Your homework, Miss Kamiki. Would you please recite it?”

The girl smirked, nodding and beginning to recite the homework. She barely made it through half of the first line before faltering, double-backing on her words twice before stopping completely. 

Their teacher tutted, head shaking as her beady eyes turned to the other person in the room who wasn’t paying attention. For some reason, this teacher was not taking the hint from either of their tired dead-to-the-world looks and continued to teach, “Mr. Suguro,” The boy in question jumped in surprise, looking up through his lashes, “Maybe you will have more luck than Miss Kamiki.”

Ryuji gulped and stood slowly, waving away the protests on Konekomaru’s face. He might be dropping out, he hadn’t yet told anyone, but he was still in class for right now. Might as well just do something.

The Phoenix stood, taking a deep breath and reciting the fatal-verse he’d practiced restlessly almost directly after receiving it. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed the strange reactions from his class, including the way Shima ran his hand down his face. 

Rin, who had been eyeing him since this morning on the roof, just looked down right confused and worried. In the back, Yamada made a small squeak of surprise, coughing into her clenched fist. 

Once Ryuji was done, he collapsed back down in his seat, trying to ignore the startled confusion from all around the room. The teacher cleared her throat awkwardly, “Uh, Mr. Suguro, would you do that again. But maybe this time in full Japanese?”

Ryuji took a few seconds to process this before shooting back up, a startled, “ _ Ȧsi _ ?” Ryuji cleared his throat and repeated himself in a language the rest of the class would be able to understand, “What?” Ripping from his throat. He went to speak again, only for Konekomaru to jump up and slam a hand over his mouth.

“I’m sorry! Bon isn’t thinking straight-” Shima snickered, earning a dark glare from the bald monk, “and didn’t notice he wasn’t fully speaking his second language.”

The teacher blinked, a sharp sigh filling the room, “What is going on with the two of you?” She glanced between Suguro and Kamiki, “What happened? This is not something I expected from you. Okumura maybe,” There was a startled cry from Rin’s seat in the class. Strangely, he had been attentive the entire time and was currently sending a look of pure worry to Ryuji, “But not the two of you,” She sighed deeply and waved at them, “Sit, we’ll do this another time.”

Ryuji slowly sunk down in his seat, peeling Konekomaru’s hand away from his mouth. His friends leaned against the table so they could look at their friend more closely, “Dude, what happened?” Shima’s head tilted to the side, as if a different angle would give him the answer.

Ryuji shook his head, words dead on his tongue as he shrugged, “I-I don’t know. I wasn’t really paying attention,” He was hunched over his desk, a hand gripping his hair as dead eyes blinked lazily at the rough wood of his desk.

Konekomaru’s lips pressed into a thin line, not quite pleased with his answer. Strangely, his friends had found out he could speak another language when they were young. Almost everyone at the temple knew he spoke two languages, to which his mother admitted it was her first language and she had taught him. They never really mentioned what language it was, the only clue they were given was that it was a dead one. 

“What language even is that?” Shima asked, his hands waving in the air, a hopeful look on his face.

Ryuji gave the same answer as always, “A dead one,” To which the boy pouted, collapsing back in his chair. 

There was a loud gasp and Rin smiled, glancing at him with shining eyes, “I didn’t know you knew a second language, Suguro! I guess you really are smart!”

Ryuji grumbled and low, “Don’t go falling for me,” Ignoring the flush rising to his sickly pale cheeks. 

Shima snickered, “You sure you don’t want him-” He was cut off by a weak elbow to his side, causing him to wheeze. Sometimes Ryuji forgot that weak for a Phoenix was like a flying punch. 

Ryuji murmured a tired apology to his friend how waved it off, gasping weakly, "I'm good, don't worry 'bout me."

Shiemi turned, waving her book in the air and regaining Suguro's half-hearted attention, “Hey, Suguro?” Ryuji hummed, his brows knitting together as he tilted his head to glance at the girl. Why were they applauding him when he had quite clearly bombed that? It didn’t make any sense, “You’re good at memorizing things, right?”

Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over him, “I would like to think so.”

Shiemi’s face brightened, “Is there a trick to it? I’m having trouble memorizing the sutras. You’re really smart so it’s probably easy for you but-”

Konekomaru snorted, “Bon’s not really smart, he’s just been good at memorizing things since he was little.”

Ryuji paused for a second before whirling around to glare at his friend, “Excuse me?”

Shima chuckled, “He’s right.”

“Aren’t being smart and being good at memorizing the same thing?” 

Konekomaru went to answer, a smirk on his face, when a low voice from across the room murmured, “Memorization is just fake intelligence.”

Ryuji jumped to his feet, hands slamming on the desk in front of him as he snarled, “Say that again, I fucking dare you!” 

Just by judging Izumo’s reaction, along with everyone else in the room, he was the only one to hear it. The purple-haired girl shook herself from her stupor and stood, and a cocky smile on her face. She repeated herself, louder this time, “Memorization is easy, you’d have to be an idiot to not be good at it.”

In the front, Rin and Shiemi wilted, which set Ryuji off. He wanted to scream, but instead paused and crossed his arms, a dangerous grin on his face. He could feel people around the room flinch, and he knew why. He looked the same way he did when he dueled, deadly and bloodthirsty. He was going to be leaving anyway, might as well go out with a bang.

“This coming from the so-called ‘prodigy’ who can’t keep her act together for a minute without putting someone in danger,” He heard Konekomaru hiss from behind him, wincing at the boy’s tone. He knew that was a low blow, but he couldn’t care less at the moment. He felt like he had been drug through the lowest level of the Duat, also known as Hell, and really didn’t give a fuck if his words hurt others at the moment. 

The girl flinched, before a venomous glare hardened her features, “This coming from the one who couldn’t speak proper Japanese.”

“Huh, and here I thought you couldn’t even get the words out of your mouth,” Izumo gaped at him, words dying on her tongue. Ryuji smirked, “What? Cat got your tongue?”

Izumo sneered, finally forcing the words out, “I  _ can  _ memorize things, I just don’t! Arias are weak and need to be protected, they’re practically useless!”

Ryuji snapped. On a normal day, he probably wouldn’t even have started yelling, okay maybe he still would have, but he probably wouldn’t have snapped. But, with no sleep and having a generally shitty day, his patience was down to the negatives. They started storming at each other, meeting halfway. It was clear Izumo wanted to add more, Ryuji didn’t let her.

“You won’t be saying that when the only thing between you and a demon is a sutra!” Or a spell. Ryuji growled, he could feel his tail twitching beneath his shirt, begging to jump out and strangle the girl. Honestly, he might just let that happen.

Izumo snorted, “If it’s you chanting it, I’ll be dead before you can say the first word.”

Ryuji slammed his hand down on the nearest desk, Rin’s desk. The poor boy jumped out of his skin, a small squeak escaping his mouth. Ryuji had to grit his teeth to stifle the apology on his lips, turning it into a snarl aimed at a certain sly bitch.

“What is your problem? You treat everyone like shit and the second you get called out you lose your cool!”

“Oh, you're still mad about me laughing at your ‘ambition’?” The girl brought her hands up to form quotes in the air, “Sorry, but jokes are for laughing at. Sorry that I don’t go around parading my dreams, I don’t feel the need to stand out like you do.”

_ Oh _ , Ryuji thought,  _ you think I’m standing out right now? I’ll show you standing out _ . 

Ryuji grabbed the girl’s shirt in his fist, glaring deeply, “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” He noticed Rin standing out of the corner of his eye, hands raised to push the two away. Ryuji could feel his friends try pulling him away from Kamiki while Rin pushed at the two. Ryuji was having none of it, standing his ground, in turn making Izumo stand her’s as well. Ryuji’s voice was low, and he was sure Izumo was the only one who could hear him, “You don’t know what's really out there, how much you rely on shadows in the dark to protect you. So say that again, I’ll show you what a weak Aria wannabe can  _ really _ do.”

Izumo’s eyes widened, almost as if she was seeing something he wasn’t. Her arm swung, trying to slap him, but she missed and instead hit Rin who was trying, and failing, to separate the two of them. 

Ryuji blanched as Rin’s head snapped to the side. The boy stood frozen for a moment before he snarled, shouting angrily, “What’d you go and hit me for?!”

Rin looked like he wanted to hit the both of them, but everything was suddenly stopped when a loud voice shouted, “What the  _ hell _ do you think you’re doing?!”

* * *

Rin had been curious about Suguro since day one. Ever since they first met, he felt different. He couldn’t pin-point what it was exactly, he just knew it was something. The boy was smart, but incredibly reckless. Which was found out when he  _ tackled a god-damned demon _ ! Rin had wanted to scream at him, especially when the monk had refused to leave him to fight the demon. He had almost screamed that he was the son of god damned Satan and could deal with the Naberius alone!

This morning on the roof had further confirmed something was going on. There was a presence behind him, large and powerful. He’d seen a blur of… he could have sworn they were feathers, ducking behind the shed-like structure that led to the rest of the dorm. 

Shiemi had distracted him, but there was no  _ way _ whatever it was had been able to sneak away. Rin had been able to almost feel it, right around the corner. Not only that, but there had been a strange phrase whispered over and over again, almost frantically in a familiar voice. 

He hadn’t been able to recognize the words, they were in a strange tongue he’d never heard before. Once he’d finally been able to deter Shiemi and whip around the corner. He’d come face to face with a startled Suguro. He had looked different with dark bags under his eyes and rumpled clothes. But he still looked good, almost handsome. Rin had noticed that the second he walked into Cram school the first day, he’d even thought he looked beautiful when he saw him stifling a laugh out of the corner of his eye on occasion.

He liked the way he flushed when Rin talked to him, and how he got shy when he was caught off guard. 

But, despite everything, Rin knew something was off… no, not off, something was  _ wrong _ . He could see it. The way his eyes would dull during conversations, the panic when someone would startle him, the way he’d retract into his head and look close to tears. He knew something was wrong, that he was bottling something up. He knew this because it was something Rin did and was  _ doing _ . He’d almost asked the teen about it, but something told him that now was not the time. 

Then, when he’d found Suguro on the roof, that strange presence coming from the same spot Suguro was standing, it almost fully guaranteed it. He’d wanted to follow Suguro when he’d slipped away with the world’s worst excuse flowing from his lips, but he didn’t. And now, he could see he should have.

Rin had this awful feeling pooling in his gut all day, the feeling of something going wrong. Then he’d gotten the text from Konekomaru, saying he couldn’t find Suguro anywhere. Rin had walked out of class, ignoring the shouted threats from his teacher. He thought finding the monk would be easier with his demon senses, and it was. But at the same time, it wasn’t. That presence from before was everywhere, and it was  _ bad _ . The presence itself wasn’t bad, it was the feeling. He’d even tried calling him but went to voicemail on the fifth ring. 

Then he’d heard the scream. It was loud and long and full of so much pain and despair, making Rin want to cry. Something told him it was Suguro, he didn’t know how he knew, he just did. 

A few minutes later, after almost every piece of glass in the vicinity shattered, Konekomaru texted him again, saying they had reached Suguro. 

Rin had skipped the rest of his classes, he knew he was too worried to focus. So he opted for just sitting on the bridge above the door he’d first used to get to Cram Class. He sat there for a long time, debating whether he should check on his friend, was he even his friend? Rin lied to him almost daily, he didn’t feel like a friend. At least not a good one.

Rin had been panicking since that text, but he really started to freak out when Suguro walked into their class, trailing behind his friends. His feet drug against the floor and his hair was a mess with his puffy eyes and strange tear stains on his cheeks, almost resembling scars. Then he smelled it, the tang of iron thick on his tongue.  _ Blood _ . Rin had almost jumped up right then and ran to Suguro. He’d wanted to pull him into the hall and ask him just what was wrong. The smell had made Rin ghost his fingers over the faint scars on his wrists that had steadily grown in numbers since his father’s death and the fight with his brother.

But, he didn’t. So he carefully watched the teen, the way his head dipped to the desk until Konekomaru or Shima nudged him gently. Rin was growing more worried by the second, so much so that the lack of sleep from this past week was pushed aside and was replaced by concern. At one point, Konekomaru noticed his pinched brows and gave him the best something-is-wrong look. 

Rin, despite being able to stay awake, didn’t focus at all. He was so pulled into his own head. He barely noticed when Kamiki stumbled over her words to chant a fatal-verse for a demon Rin couldn’t remember the name of. Then it was Suguro’s turn and Rin choked on air as words that sounded eerily similar to the ones from the roof came out of his friend’s mouth, woven with traditional Japanese. 

Rin’s head was spinning, ignoring the lecture the teacher was giving the two students who quite honestly just failed the exercise. Suguro spoke those words, was he  _ really _ the presence from the roof? Rin hadn’t completely believed his eyes when Suguro was standing in the same spot and was just beginning to write it off as a strange coincidence. But that panicked language, something wasn’t adding up, or, more accurately, something  _ was _ .

Rin wanted to ask his brother about this, god that was going to be the first thing he asked him, maybe he would even slip out of class to find him. He didn't care if he hated being alone with Yukio, if one of his friends were in trouble, he'd suck it up. Rin slowly started shoving his books into his bag, making to stand. That was when the taunting started.

Rin glanced at his friend in surprise, was Suguro really going this low? The demon could see the teen’s emotions boiling over, about to explode. Rin slowly sunk lower in his seat, deciding it was a good idea to stay here, especially if a fight broke out. A few months ago, that would have seemed nearly impossible, but right now it looked to be the only option.

For a second, it looked like taunting was all it would become, at least until Izumo stepped over the line. The two were shouting at each other, Rin only caught snippets of actual sentences between the loud words. He nearly screeched when Suguro slammed a hand on his desk but managed to muffle it into a tiny squeak. 

That’s when Rin stood, using his arms to try and push the two away. Despite being in the situation she was in, Kamiki didn’t seem to give two shits. That worried Rin. He knew they were both hot headed stubborn assholes who both seemed to be having a particularly shitty day.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Yukio step into the room, a stack of papers in his hand. He watched the exchange for a few moments, not even stepping in when Suguro grabbed Izumo by the front of her shirt, growling indefinable words to the girl. 

Rin pushed harder, his demon strength helping him push them ever so slightly. But, the two teens were surprisingly strong and managed to stand their ground. Rin pushed harder, noticing that Konekomaru and Shima were trying to pull their friend away to no avail. Just how strong was Suguro? 

Izumo’s eyes widened in horror, stilling Rin for a moment. Then he felt it. That feeling from before. He’d been so focused on separating the two that he’d failed to notice it. Rin went to look, to see if he was right, but Izumo swung, her flat palm slamming into Rin’s face. Rin snarled, shouting at the girl, “What’d you go and hit me for?”

That’s when Yukio decided now was a good time to step in. He stomped forward, slamming the papers down in front of Shiemi, the blonde had been watching the whole ordeal from her seat, startling the girl before shouting a loud, “What the  _ hell _ do you think you’re doing?!”

Suguro and Kamiki froze, slowly turning to look at Rin’s brother. The two teens stepped away from each other and, in a very childish manner, pointed to each other and chorused, “They started it.”

Yukio’s face was turning red with unchecked rage. Rin slowly sunk down in his seat, cowering. He’d been on the wrong side of that look multiple times and it usually resulted in painful bruises later. 

The brunette marched forward, grabbing the two by their ears before dragging them in the direction of the door. Kamiki and Suguro squawked, trying to pull away from their teacher. Rin could hear Suguro growling a pained, “Let go of me!”

Yukio turned slightly, barking to the rest of the class, “Everyone else follow me. We have a change of lesson plan for today!” 

Rin winced, jogging after his brother and friend. He found he strangely did  _ not _ like the way Yukio was handling Suguro, he even found that he didn’t just not like it, he was pissed. Huh, that was new.


	11. Left Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took forever because I forgot to upload this even though it was already written. Hopefully, I can make it up to you and upload the next chapter soon.

Ryuji did not like the “altered lesson plan” Yukio had concocted. The entire class was kneeling on the ground of a spare room in the Old Boy’s Dormitory. They were being punished for the fight between Ryuji and Izumo by having Baryions sit in their laps. The entire group was straining against the impossible weight. At first it had been bearable for Ryuji, but the rock demon seemed to sense he could take more weight and had jumped from around a hundred pounds to a weight that would crush any of the other teens like a bug.

The only person who was seemingly unbothered by their situation was Yamada, the girl sat there calmly, face blank beneath her hood. In front of them, Yukio stood with his arms crossed smugly, “Now class, have you learned your lesson?”

Beside him, Rin groaned, his head bowed and hair falling across his face, “Why us too?”

Ryuji had to agree with that. Ryuji and Izumo were the only ones to fight, so why were the rest of them there? Vaguely, the demon registered Konekomaru murmuring, “Daruma give me strength,” Over and over again. 

Yukio’s lips pursed, giving the teen a very unsatisfied look, “It’s called collective responsibility. You need to learn how to work with each other instead of fighting. So, learn to get along with each other!”

Izumo humphed, lifting her nose into the air, “I don’t want to get along with these brats.”

“Look who’s talking,” Ryuji grumbled lowly, scowling at the ground.

Yukio sighed, pushing down anger, “If you want to be an exorcist, you need to get along with each other. No exorcist fights alone, so it will be a problem if you do.” 

Yukio didn’t stop there and was still talking, giving a long explanation as to what they needed to do. But, Ryuji’s focus had shifted to the noises in the walls and ceilings. It wasn’t the simple scratching of rats, which this building was infested with, it was talking. 

“Damn, it’s so dark here!”

“Be quiet or someone’ll hear!” One voice shushed.

Ryuji’s nose scrunched when he caught the familiar whiff of bubblegum perfume. The monk sighed, putting a hand to his head. He had a feeling he knew what this was, scratch that, he had two ideas. This could either be a test to see just how well or badly they worked together, the most likely answer, or they knew about Ryuji and were using their predicament of being trapped to grab him and-

Nope, he was not thinking about this right now. All he had to do was tell Yukio that he was dropping out, grab his stuff and leave. Although, with the exorcist’s current attitude, that was going to be something he’d have to point out later when he wasn’t faced with being in the room with a demon on his lap and a snooty girl still pissed at him. He could deal with this, it wasn’t the worst thing he'd had done to him, though it was in the top ten. 

Yukio paused mid sentence, glancing down at his watch with a scowled etched on his face, “Now, I’ll be gone on a mission for a few hours-”

“Hours?!” Rin yelped. The poor boy would have toppled into Ryuji if it wasn’t for the heavy demon rock in his lap. Ryuji gently nudged Rin so he was no longer teetering, ignoring the small, “Thanks,” that dropped from his lips.

Yukio scowled at his brother before continuing, “I will be locking every door because of the ghoul attack from yesterday as well as put the building under heavy wards that Mephisto found specifically to keep you guys safe-”

There was another voice in the wall, “That new ward worked?”

“Yeah, what is it even for?”

“Don’t know, something about ‘weakening opponents.’ Who knows with Mephisto.”

Ryuji clenched his jaw, trying to ignore the noise. The slam of the door was what finally drew his attention. The spot Yukio had been standing in before was empty. Ryuji blinked, murmuring a low, “Why is he locking the building? What if we need to get out?”

“I think he’s hoping we don’t, and if there’s an emergency we still don’t,” Rin whined, shifting uncomfortably under the unbearable weight. Ryuji’s brows furrowed, glancing at the boy from the side of his eye. There was no doubt on Rin’s face, he wholly believed that was something his brother would do.

Shima moaned, trying to shimmy out from under the Baryion but to no avail, “Three hours?! He’s the devil.”

Rin scoffed, muffling the sound with his locked lips. Ryuji glanced beside him, “Are you two really brothers?” Ryuji was honestly surprised. Rin, although he drove Ryuji up the walls, seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Yukio seemed like the kind of guy you didn’t mess with, and not in a good way. Was there even a good way for that kind of attitude?

Rin grumbled a low, “I swear… he’s a nice guy," It sounded like he was trying to convince himself. 

Ryuji raised a brow, silently wondering why Rin was defending his brother after what he had been told on their first day. That conversation, which was more of a one-way screaming match than a conversation, still rang through the Phoenix’s thoughts. In all honesty, Yukio turning on his own brother scared him. Ryuji knew Rin was a demon, not exactly what kind, but it was obvious he was one. Which also probably meant Yukio was one as well seeing as how the two were twins! That wasn’t the only part that scared him, what would happen if his secret got out. Would Yukio be on his side?

Probably not, knowing he was an Exorcist and trained to kill things like him. Ryuji took a deep breath, trying to push away the thoughts in his head by speaking up, “Well, at least we know whose  _ fault _ this is!” Ryuji grumbled, ignoring the way Konekomaru sent him a menacing glare. 

Izumo gasped, head snapping to glare at him over Rin’s head of messy hair, “You grabbed me first! I can’t believe you,” She shouted, a snarl on her lips.

Konekomaru grumbled, shooting his friend with an even darker glare than before, “Did you two already forget what Mr. Okumura told us?”

Ryuji, obviously ignoring his friend’s angry words in light of continuing to argue with Izumo, albeit a bit childishly, “You started it!”

“Real mature,” Shima murmured under his breath, unheard to everyone but him, and maybe Rin. The latter, however, didn’t seem to be focusing too much on anything else.

Rin had begun to shake, whether from strain or anger, Ryuji couldn't say. The boy snapped, bearing unusually sharp teeth, ones that reminded Ryuji of his own, “Stop fighting with me in the middle!”

Ryuji ignored Rin, “You got a rotten personality.”

Rin groaned, “This is abuse!”

Izumo rolled her eyes, a smirk plastered on her face, “Tell me something I don’t know,” Ryuji wasn't sure to which statement she was referring to, and from the way Rin’s body visibly tensed, he didn’t seem to know either. Izumo straightened her back, seeming pleased by the silence as she crossed her arms, “What, cat got your tongue?”

Ryuji looked at her out of the corner of his eye. In that moment, he didn’t see the cocky girl who pissed him off, only the flash of that man that haunted his dreams. His cocky face that grew by the second knowing he’d finally cornered a monster. A ten-year-old monster backed into the corner of the small cabin with a rifle to his head with the man’s family pressed against the other side, unsure of which they were more scared of. 

Ryuji remembered the way an exorcist pin glimmered as the dwindling fire’s light from the hearth caught against its reflective surface, illuminating both the badge and the wooden walls. There was a searing pain in his side, he’d been shot and was bleeding. He wasn’t healing because the bullet was still wedged deep inside his abdomen. 

Something had happened, no, everything had happened and way too fast. The man had shot him in the shoulder. Ryuji had launched forward, trying to get away as the wall was engulfed in flames,  _ his  _ flames. The same flames that burned that man and his family alive, that turned the cabin to ash and jumped to the trees. The flames that were classified as an unfortunate wildfire, the ones no one batted an eye towards.

Ryuji gulped, blinking away the sight of that cabin and the family, trying to focus on the dorm room with all his classmates. Rin had trained a worried look on him, looking like he wanted to ask if he was alright.

He’d been quiet too long and he knew it, so he spoke the first thing that came to his mind. Something he told himself countless times when he woke up from nightmares or came to after flashbacks, “No wonder people run away from you,”  _ you’re a monster _ . He wasn’t saying it to Izumo, he was reminding himself. Why he kept himself hidden, why he didn’t trust anyone.

Izumo startled, and maybe Ryuji would have pushed away his pride and apologized, but the lights cut. Turning the startled, albeit a little scared, silence into confusion. Ryuji squeaked, he could see the way everyone stared open-mouthed at the ceiling. 

Ryuji blinked, waiting for his eyes to adjust fully. The demon, seeing that no one was able to see very well, pushed the rock demon off his lap, not noticing that it landed on Rin’s foot. The poor boy shrieked, managing to throw off his demon in light of holding his foot and jumping up and down. 

In a matter of moments, everyone seemed to dissolve into a state of panic, earning some snickers from the wall that Ryuji really,  _ really _ wanted to shout at. 

Konekomaru shrieked, startling Izumo bad enough for the girl to throw him to the ground and pin him as if she was under attack. Shima, being the only smart person in the room, fished his phone from his pocket and turned on the flashlight, sending an eerie illumination across the room. 

Ryuji felt something grasp his arm, only to find Shiemi was shouting and clutching at him like a vine. The monk sighed, gently peeling his arm from the blonde’s vice-like grip, patting her head hesitantly. Ryuji’s head swiveled, noticing the way the buildings outside were still lit. The Phoenix groaned, “Did Mr. Okumura turn off the power, too?”

Izumo snorted, “I doubt that, it’s probably just a power outage.”

Ryuji grumbled, glaring in the general direction of the girl, “Then why are the lights still on outside?”

Izumo blinked, joining the majority of the heads that whipped around to look out the windows. Ryuji rolled his eyes, fishing his phone from his pocket to mimic Shima’s action of using the flashlight. Honestly, this class had no sense of perception. Rin's nose wrinkled, having the light shine directly in his face. Ryuji winced, shifting the light down to the floor. Rin mumbled a small thank you before leaning to the side to glare past Ryuji, “So, what do you guys think is going on?”

“Who knows?” Konekomaru said, rubbing at his shoulder where he’d been hit by Izumo, “Mr. Okumura is a mystery.”

“Or he’s just an ass,” Rin whispered under his breath. Ryuji’s brows pinched, glancing at the boy from the corner of his eyes, worry taking over his thoughts for his classmate. 

Shima chuckled, not hearing Rin as he patted Konekomaru on the shoulder, “I’ll look in the hall. See if somethings wrong.”

“Be careful dumbass,” Ryuji shot at his friend. 

Izumo jolted slightly, picking herself up off the floor as if to follow the pinkett, “I should check on Paku.”

Shima rolled his eyes, reaching for the door, “I’m sure she’s fine.” 

Ryuji jumped up just as Shima twisted the door knob. There was a strange growling on the other side of the door, a sound he recognized from the Naberius from the bathroom, “Shima don’t!”

His friend froze, turning a pinched expression to the Phoenix, as he pushed the door open without looking, “Bon, what the he-”

Shima was interrupted by a dark, gruesome figure standing in the doorway. The monk’s eyes widening in horror as he slowly backed away from the door after closing it quickly, “Was it my imagination or-”

“It was real,” Ryuji snapped, watching his friend scamper away just in time for the door to be turned into nothing but splinters. Shima tripped, running headlong into the floor. Konekomaru reached down to help him up just as the same Naberius from the bathroom limped into the room, growling up a storm.

Izumo screeched, falling back, “It’s that Ghoul!”

Konekomaru, who had begun to use Shima as a shield, squeaked, “What about the wards?!”

“Damn these kids are idiots,” A voice directly to Ryuji’s side giggled, “Are you sure they're gonna pass this test?” Ryuji’s head snapped to the side, narrowing his eyes at the wall. There was a low, “Shit, he heard me!” Ryuji snarled lowly at the wall, a sharp intake of breath the only indicator that the people were still there.

The monk huffed, mulling over the words as he continued to glare darkly at the wall. He couldn’t think of a damn reason as to why people were in the fucking  _ walls _ or talking about them. Also, what did they mean “pass?” Could it be- Then it clicked. A demon who managed to get within a building covered in wards, Exorcists in the walls watching them, Yukio leaving. This was a test, or a trap. Or, if Mephisto was involved, both.

Ryuji bit his lip, “Maybe it got in on purpose?” There was a strange silence, not just from his classmates but the spies in the room. The entire room turned to look at him, a few of them looked like they wanted to argue against his point, but everything was kicked back into motion when the Naberius, who looked very pissed at being ignored, snarled as it’s second head exploded.

Ryuji flinched away from the sludge propelled everywhere. There was a desperate shout from Shiemi, who seemed to have a quick reaction time, “Quick, Nee! Oona-Oona!”

Ryuji wasn’t the only one confused by the strange cry, at least until the tiny Greenman produced thick roots that wove together until the Naberius was trapped within it’s hold. When looking closer, Ryuji noticed that it didn’t just trap one, but two demons. 

The Phoenix couldn’t help but stare at the blonde, murmuring an astonished, “Cool,” in unison with Rin. The girl smiled happily for a few moments until she faltered, swaying on her knees. Rin startled, tensing up and looking ready to lunge forward, “Shiemi?”

“I feel dizzy,” The girl breathed out, shaking her head as if to chase away the feeling. It seemed to right her momentarily. 

That seemed to flip a switch, as everyone began dissolving in a coughing fit. Everyone except for Rin and Ryuji. The demon swiveled around, not sure who he should be worrying about, and Rin blinking dumbly at the group didn’t help, “What happened to them?”

Ryuji rolled his eyes, moving to push past the boy and help his friends, “Don’t you think I’d tell ya if I knew?!”

Izumo, who managed to stop hacking for a minute, managed to force out a haggard, “It’s the Ghoul’s fluid. Why isn’t it affecting the two of you?”

Ryuji froze, mind blanking for a moment before squeaking an unsure, “Must be immune?”

The Phoenix managed to pull Konekomaru to his feet just as an order snapped from the ceiling met his ears, “Put up the ward.”

Ryuji had a split second to wonder what the fuck that was supposed to mean when the searing pain ripped through his body. The teen let out a garbled cry, clutching at the shirt over his chest as he dropped to his knees. He could hear everyone around him shout his name, even some startled gasps in the walls. He was mutely aware of Shima snapping his fingers in front of his face as Rin desperately repeated his name over and over.

But, Jesus, he didn’t want to pay attention,  _ couldn’t _ pay attention. The pain was something new he had never felt or even heard of before. It was like something was being ripped from his body. Then it hit him, that ward. It had to have something to do with what happened on the roof. It made sense, it was in the same area. But it also didn’t. He’d felt what Exorcist wards felt like, this was different. It wreaked of magic…  _ Egyptian _ magic.

Ryuji felt like he was choking, like the breath was being stolen from his body. Like his  _ magic _ was being ripped from him. That made him panic more than he already was. This couldn’t be happening! He’d be gone after today and someone, he was sure it was Mephisto, seemed to be trying to make his day worse than it already was.

Ryuji had one thought running through his head, he needed to  _ get out _ . He didn't care how, hell, he’d be alright with faking his death (yes he could do that, it comes in handy when something wants to kill you). He just didn’t care, he needed to go  _ now. _

* * *

Rin was freaking out. Everyone looked like it was becoming hard to breathe, but then Suguro just collapsed. He was looking at Shima, but in the way that made Rin think he was looking through him. The monk was shaking, breaths coming out raged as he gripped at the front of his shirt.

Shiemi was looking between Suguro and her little demon, “Should I-?”

Konekomaru cut her off with the shake of his head, “No, keep those things trapped as long as possible.”

The girl nodded, continuing to focus on keeping the gnarled roots up. Rin knelt down, resting a hand on Suguro’s shoulder, hoping it might stir the boy from his trance. The demon’s brows knit, the monk looked like he was in pain. The look from when he walked into class had stayed on his face the entire day, but now it looked fresh. 

Rin glanced up at Shima, the pinkett was snapping his fingers in his friend’s face, “What’s happening?” Rin spoke, trying to hide the worry lacing his voice, but it got out.

Konekomaru slowly shook his head, “Maybe he’s having a worse reaction? The Ghoul’s fluid is like a poison, but maybe he’s more sensitive?” The monk sounded unsure, a frightened look had taken over his face. Rin glanced at the rest of the class, even Izumo was shaken and looked just slightly worried for Suguro. Maybe that last part was his imagination. The only person who didn’t seem to give a shit was Yamada, he watched silently, not making a move to help at all. 

Rin turned his head to the demons pounding on the roots, “If the Ghoul’s are doing this, then we need to get rid of them.”

Shima startled, head snapping up to look at the son of Satan in horror, “Are you crazy?! If that barrier breaks we’re dead meat!”

Rin bit at his lip, gazing at Suguro. He wanted to help his friend, it was his fault these things were here. They were after him, might as well clean up his own mess. Rin stood, he’d made up his mind. He had to protect his friends, he had to make sure they were safe, “I’ll go draw them away. If both of them follow me, run and get help. If they don’t, I’ll turn on the power and get help.”

“W-what?” Rin froze for a second, glancing down at Suguro. Some of the fog had cleared from his eyes, but he still looked shaky, “Are _ten_ crazy?”

Rin sucked at his pointed teeth, mulling over Suguro’s words. He assumed he'd asked if he was crazy. Rin bobbed his head in affirmation, “Probably,” The demon turned, stalking to the roots and finding a gap big enough for his slim body to squeeze through, “Don’t worry, I’m pretty tough.”

Rin glanced back for the barest of seconds, noticing the way Suguro had begun to shake even worse, sweat beading on his brow and a panicked look in his eye. The demon flashed a smile before pulling himself through the gap in the roots, ignoring the shouts from Shima and Izumo. Anyone else was too busy focusing or trying not to flip out. 

Rin managed to pull himself to the side the demons were trapped in, both demons slowly turned. They looked like someone had tried to make a real life Frankenstein but gave up halfway through. Long story short, they were ugly.

The demon grit his teeth, baring his fangs and pinning a dark look on the Ghouls, “I’m the one you want, right? Then come and get me you bastards!”

Rin lept to the side just as the open-faced Ghoul charged at him. Rin darted into the hall and sprinted, not thinking where exactly he was going. Only one was following him, but it was better than nothing.  _ Sorry guys, looks like you’re gonna need to fight as well _ .


	12. Surprises and a Revealed Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big reveal you've all been waiting for!!!

Ryuji blinked, watching as Rin’s figure disappeared through the door and out of sight. Shima huffed, “That guys crazy!”

“He’s gonna get killed,” Ryuji whispered. By the second, Ryuji noticed the strain on him increasing drastically. The demon had no doubt that his glamour would cease to work in a matter of minutes, so they, and by they he meant he, needed to work fast so that Ryuji could bolt and get out.

The demon grimaced, listening to the way the others bickered about what to do while Rin’s feet pounded against the wooden floors a few levels below. Ryuji clenched his fist, knuckled going white, “We have to fight it.”

Shima’s head snapped to the side to gape at his friend, “Are you crazy, too?! How are we going to fight it?”

Ryuji bit at his lip uncertainly, “A Sutra?”

Shima watched him for a second before jumping to his feet and shouting, “You don’t know it's fatal verse!”

The Phoenix huffed, about to correct his friend when Konekomaru spoke up, “It’s in the book of John, just like all fatal verses for Ghouls.”

“And,” Ryuji added, his voice wavering slightly with each push of this damned spell, “I memorized the whole book. Should run across it sometime.”

Shima wasted no time in shouting, “But that’s more than 20 chapters!”

“Twenty-one, actually,” Konekomaru huffed, his arms wrapping around himself, “I know up to chapter ten, I can help.”

Ryuji nodded, ignoring Shima’s loud, “You have got to be kidding me!” Ryuji was about to snap at him for wimping out when the Phoenix himself was fucking dying under the spell that only effected him, but was cut off by Izumo’s astonished shouts.

“Wait, if you start chanting, they’ll focus on you!”

“So what?!” Ryuji shouted, turning a glare onto the girl and pointing to Shiemi, “She’s busting her ass to keep us safe, I’m not just going to sit here and do nothing! Besides,” Ryuji’s voice lowered to a bare whisper, “I’ve been through worse,”  _ Much worse _ . He’d been beaten, stabbed, burned (yes, fire still burns Phoenix. They were fire  _ resistant _ , not fireproof), crushed, and any bad thing you could think of. Being a Phoenix was cool, but it was not always fun, especially when it means you’re a target for grudge holders or rogue magicians (yes, that is a thing).

Shima rolled his eyes, pulling back the side of his shirt to reveal what appeared to be a strange type of gun holster slung around his shoulders. From it, he pulled the folded pieces of a K'rik and quickly twisted it together, “Spoken like a true hero. Of course, I’m not good at memorizing, but I can be useful using this.”

Ryuji and Konekomaru shared an astonished look before letting their faces split into small smiles, “Thank you, Shima,” Konekomaru said calmly, he was trying to psych himself up.

“No problem,” The pinkett pushed off his knees, giving Ryuji’s shoulder a little pat. Maybe it was for encouragement or just to see if he was alright (far from it), but Ryuji appreciated it nonetheless.

“It-it won’t work!” Izumo shouted, shocking Ryuji enough that he almost slammed his hands over his ears, “You should just run, leave it to the exorcists and get out!”

Ryuji narrowed his eyes, “If you’re not gonna help then shut up!” He couldn’t waste more breath arguing with her and instead turned to Konekomaru and pointed to him lazily, “Chapter one through ten?”

His friend nodded, a fierce look in his framed eyes, “You’ll do the rest?” Bon nodded back, sitting back in a more comfortable position and started chanting, drowning out his friend’s chanting so as not to get thrown off. He wanted to do what he usually did and focus on white noise in a quiet area, but it was like that spell also muffled the outside world. So all he could hear was the voices of the people around him, and Rin. Rin was loud, he always was. But it was sort of comforting, so he listened to that, to make sure Rin was safe. 

He could hear the relief through Rin’s voice when he panted, “Finally found the damn Breaker Box!” There was a momentary pause and the sound of metal being pulled before a confused, “Why the hell are all the switches off?”

Ryuji practically snorted, these damn Exorcists were going really far to make this realistic. The Phoenix had a nagging suspicion that it wasn’t only for a test or something, there was a darker plot. 

Rin hummed, the taps of his foot against the floor were a bare whisper in Ryuji’s ears, “This should do it… maybe? Or is it this-” There was a loud roar, making Ryuji falter for the barest of seconds. He was starting to regret this, with each chapter done he grew more and more dizzy as the room spun and blurred.

There was a clang of metal, like something landed, and hard. He really hoped it was the Ghoul and not Rin, but he knew the boy was a trouble magnet and was probably facing a Ghoul  _ alone _ . Dumbass.

“Don’t mess with me!” The whipping crack of flames tore through the air many stories below the rest of the class. Ryuji gulped, he really,  _ really _ hoped Rin wasn’t where those flames were or he would get burned alive.

Rin was snarling like a wild animal, the Phoenix could practically imagine him stalking back and forth angrily, “Now,  _ that’s _ what I’ve been waiting for!” Ryuji paused, he recognized that voice. It was their teacher, Mr. Neuhaus. What was he doing? Ryuji had just one thought, that he was attacking Rin. 

The exorcist chuckled, fingers snapping. Almost immediately the Ghoul’s garbled words, which were more like growls, paused, “That blue flame,”  _ No. _ That couldn’t be right. That  _ couldn’t be right _ . There was no way in hell, “You can’t use it around your friends, so getting you away was the only option,” No! This-this can’t be. Rin...he can’t be, “Son of Satan!” Ryuji’s first thought was that Rin was possessed. But this might just be worse, because Rin was like him. Ryuji took a deep breath, trying to steady his head. He was reeling, his hands shaking, the beads clasped between them clicking from the movement. 

Ryuji was nearing the end of the book, only a chapter away. Rin sounded panicked, and Ryuji found he was still worried about him, the Phoenix knew he should stop listening, stop caring. But he just  _ couldn’t _ .

It didn’t matter, he’d force himself to. But he would have to deal with that later, like when he was out of this damned city and safe with his mother. He’d  _ really _ like to just go to his home back in Egypt. The First Nome, or  _ Niwt Heka _ , the city of Magical Egypt that was hidden from the rest of the world. It’s where all Egyptians who still practiced the old ways of life lived. Hidden from the view of mortals or anyone unwelcome. He liked to think of it as the Egyptian’s version of Wakanda. There were places like it all over the world. Each with doorways between for easy access.

Maybe he’d hide away there for a while. Just be around his friends like him. Ryuji almost snorted, Rie would be so pissed. He hadn’t talked to her, nor even thought about her since the start of school. He hadn’t even said goodbye. She was going to kill him. Azal would be pissed as well, mainly because they’d be worrying about Rie so much. Jackie would be insufferable. The only one who wouldn't be on his case would be Sol. Ryuji really missed them right now. He’d practically grown up with them. 

Rie, for obvious reasons. She was his cousin, a Phoenix who hated glamours and refused to use them, so Ryuji was always sure to never mention her ever otherwise Shima and Konekomaru would pester. His mother’s older sister who decided not to take the throne, Ryuji wished he could do that at times, had died when Rie was two so his mother ended up raising them after Rie’s father deserted Ryuji’s cousin after only a week after her mother’s death. They grew up together, becoming more like brother and sister than cousins. 

Maybe he should talk to her on the ride back, seeing as she was probably three seconds away from hacking into his phone to force him to talk to her. She always got stir crazy being in the city all the time. And the others were dealing with her chaotic self all by themselves. Damn, Ryuji was  _ really _ going to get yelled at.

Ryuji took a deep breath, starting on the very last verse that could possibly work. Shima shrieked, holding up his K'rik with shaking hands, “They’re almost here!”

Ryuji knit his brows, he was trying to focus dammit! Could everyone just shut up for one damned minute. Apparently no one was going to listen to Ryuji’s soundless thoughts, how inconsiderate, “I hope Okumura is alright!”

Shima winced, a grimace painting his face, “I don’t want to think about it, but probably dead.”

Ryuji took a sharp breath, oh how wrong they were. There was a sudden thud, followed by a series of voices calling to Shiemi who had collapsed. Almost immediately the barrier of twisted roots retreated until they were left face to face with the Ghoul.

Ryuji screwed his eyes shut, forcing the words out faster as the Ghoul crawled forward. Shima growled, the clang of his K’rik slamming into the demon’s rotting body all while Izumo and Shiemi had the best version of a heart-to-heart they could. 

That seemed to be what snapped Izumo back into focus so she could summon her familiars at the last second as Shima’s K’rik got knocked to the floor. Ryuji winced, maybe he should teach him how to handle a staff properly. Perks of having a magician's staff as well as a wand he guessed, you had to be just as good at handling them as regular weapons.

It took the girl a moment of arguing and yelling at the Byakkos before they actually decided it was worth their time to help. Ryuji had a suspicion that it had something to do with them not wanting to get yelled at by the girl. Honestly, he couldn’t blame them.

The Ghoul snarled, though it sounded more like a gurgle. It was getting closer, almost directly in his face, until Izumo proclaimed a loud, “Shudder, shiver and shake! Spirit begone!” and a rush of wind twisted through the air, drowning out the Ghoul’s growling.

It was calm for a second, Ryuji’s friends sighing in relief, “Did they do it?” Shima murmured in awe. 

Ryuji slowly shook his head, continuing to chant. This thing wasn’t gone, hell, what Izumo did only served to piss him off. After years of his mom teaching him to spot anything out of the ordinary even slightly, and not just with eyes, it became second nature. When he was younger, he liked watching people, Rie used to make fun of him for it but eventually joined in on it. His mother used to joke that they would be spies some day because of how observant they were. After that, she just got worried, because they would get scared. They’d pass people who looked innocent but they could see the faint outline in their coat of a concealed weapon. Just normal people who looked innocent, but they knew weren’t. 

Ryuji yelped as sharp claws dug into his hair. The Phoenix’s eye blew wide, cutting him off mid sentence. Goddamned it, he didn’t have time to start over when this thing’s maw was practically eating his face, “Fuck it,” He growled, eyes turning gold as he growled. The Ankh on his chest burned from using it as a source of power. He was going to have a brand on his chest later, but it was better than being dead. 

“ **_Aseb ȧuf_ ** ,” Burning flesh. Using the fire-god’s name made it even more powerful than using normal words. Ryuji felt the power surge through his hands as he was lifted off his feet by his hair. The Phoenix snarled, grabbing the Ghoul’s arm, digging into the rotting flesh with his claws and watching the flesh begin to burn white-hot, turning to ash. 

Ryuji dropped to the floor, feeling drained and dizzy. Konekomaru grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from the Ghoul that was going up in flames, “Is that what’s supposed to happen?”

Ryuji didn’t have the energy to think so he just bobbed his head mutely. He was dully aware that the lights were back on and that Rin had just stepped into the room. Rin gave the Ghoul a horrified look before he rushed over to Ryuji, kneeling in front of him and twisting his head side to side gently as if he was trying to deduct what was going on, “Why’s he still like this?”

Konekomaru shook his head, turning his head to look at Moriyama. Izumo was hovering over the blonde, swatting at Shima when he got too close. Ryuji noticed the face of his friend twist, he followed his gaze to see Yamada and Takara lounging in the corner, completely ignoring everything, “Ignore them,” He murmured, trying to shift out of Rin’s grip. The boy, the son of  _ freaking Satan _ , scowled at him. 

Ryuji scowled back, trying to stand and immediately falling back down. It was getting harder to breathe, as shown by the Phoenix when he started gasping for air, pointing frantically to his throat.

Rin was the first to catch on, “He can’t breathe! Lay him down!”

Shima had jumped over the second he’d heard Rin shout and helped Konekomaru lay Ryuji down as the Phoenix jerked, clawing at his chest as if it would help him breathe easier. Using his magic seemed to have pushed him over the edge. He could feel his magic boiling beneath his skin, pulsing in his ears. 

“We need to get him out of here,” Konekomaru snapped, pulling out his phone and frantically calling anyone he could think of. 

Shima didn’t seem to know what he was supposed to be doing and instead turned to Rin, “What about that other Ghoul? I don’t want it bursting in here.”

Rin didn’t bother looking at the pinkett and instead tilted Ryuji’s chin up slightly. If he wasn’t currently having trouble doing literally  _ everything _ , Ryuji might have been shocked that he knew what to do and asked where he learned it, “I beat it, it’s gone,” Of course it was.

If Ryuji wasn’t in the position he was in right now, he’d probably smack the demon for many things. The first was being an idiot and going off on his own, the second for being the son of Satan, and the third, Ryuji was scared. He didn’t know what was going on and if he’d survive.

“What’s going on in here!” Yukio had walked in with Mr. Neuhaus, he looked like he was trying to make a grand entrance but it was immediately ruined when he saw the scene in front of him. He rushed over to Ryuji before looking at his brother, “What happened?”

“He just collapsed, and there were Ghouls!” Shima shouted, looking frantic. 

Yukio cursed under his breath before pointing to his brother, a lingering glare on his face, “Rin, help him up, we need to get him to the infirmary.”

Rin nodded, hooking his arm under Ryuji’s shoulders and hoisting him up easily. The Phoenix dazedly wondered just how strong this boy was. Rin slung Ryuji’s arm over his shoulders.

Yukio made his way over to Shiemi who was only starting to stir. He seemed to be checking her over before glaring into the empty room, “Mephisto, enough with the games. The exam is over.”

“The  _ what _ ?!” Rin shouted, right in Ryuji’s ear. The Phoenix winced, tilting his head away from the noise. As if on cue, exorcists popped up from nowhere and Mephisto jumped down from the ceiling. Rin shook his head and started walking to the door, shying around Mr. Neuhaus with a scowl on his face, “I’m going to get Suguro to the infirmary.”

Yukio waved him away, instead explaining everything to the rest of the class. So, Ryuji was right, this was a fucking test. Of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention this, but I've started drawing art for this and posting some of it on my Insta. Same user as for this.


	13. Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BonRin being awkward dorks and some more background!!!

Rin was silent for a long while as they stumbled through the halls to the ground floor. Ryuji could feel the demon’s hand on his waist and worried he would feel the plane of his tail directly beneath it. The Phoenix watched Rin out of the corner of his eyes, he was wary and on edge despite feeling loopy and more than in a little pain. 

“So,” He mumbled, ignoring the way Rin looked at him with his bright blue eyes, “How did you beat that Ghoul on your own?”

Rin blinked at him, gnawing at his lip and shrugging, “Luck?” Ryuji raised a brow. All he wanted was for this little shit to admit he was the son of Satan. It would make the monk’s life easier so he didn’t have to worry about people figuring out  _ how _ he figured it out on his own. Rin sighed, bobbing his head to the side where his sword protruded over his shoulder, “Sword.”

Ryuji hummed, Rin sounded like he was telling the truth, at least part of it. There was another long stretch of silence before Ryuji spoke up again, “I’ve seen you carry that sword everywhere, but I’ve never seen you use it.”

Rin chuckled, pushing the door to the street open, “It’s kind of like a family heirloom, my Dad gave it to me.”

His  _ dad _ . Was Rin actually referring to Satan as his  _ Dad _ ? By the gods this was bad. At least it wouldn’t be his problem in a day, unless Shima and Konekomaru got involved, “I guess you’re good at using it? Considering you’re not dead or even injured.”

Rin shrugged, “Not really,” He sent a coy smile to the Phoenix, “Better than you. I bet you’ve never even seen one.”

_ You have no idea what you’re talking about _ , Ryuji thought, but elected to instead say, “We’re still talking about swords, right?” The Phoenix didn’t want to bring up his skill in fighting at all, that was a big no-go that could just as well make people keep a closer eye on him.

Rin’s brows scrunched, “What else would we be talking about?” 

Ryuji kind of wanted to tease Rin about how innocent he was, but he shouldn’t. He needed to stop being nice and consorting with the enemy, but his brain seemed to be revolting against his Common Sense. He really hated when that happened.

The Phoenix gave Rin a few moments to think, watching him slowly grow red, “Dude! What the fuck?!”

“You weren't being specific!” Ryuji argued, trying to hide the way his ears flared red by turning his head to the ground. 

Rin was blushing furiously, stammering out, “Do sutras normally do that?”

Ryuji took the easy topic change and shook his head, “Nope.”

“Really? I thought I was just an idiot and missed that lesson,” Rin murmured, he looked kind of happy to be correct about something. 

Ryuji’s brows pinched together, shooting the demon a concerned look, “What makes you think you’re an idiot?”

Rin’s head snapped up, blinking startled eyes at the Phoenix, “What makes you think I’m  _ not _ ? You’ve said it yourself. I don’t pay attention, I fall asleep all the time, and I don’t know anything the teachers talk about. So, yeah, I think I’m an idiot,” Ryuji’s lips parted in shock as he looked down at Rin in astonishment. The demon’s jaw was clenched, his face was otherwise devoid of emotion.

The Phoenix glanced away in shame. Rin might have felt like this for a long time, or only just recently, but Ryuji definitely had a part in it. The boy worried at his lip, glancing at the boy he thought was his friend. Maybe he should have been more patient, even though they’d been getting comfortable with each other the more time they had to spent together. Albeit, most of that time was spent with Rin talking excitedly to the trio of monks with Ryuji grumbling and hiding behind books as his friends not-so subtly teased him, “You’re not.”

Rin stopped dead in his tracks, turning to look up at the Phoenix. It was a little awkward, seeing as Ryuji’s arm was still slung around Rin’s shoulder with the latter’s arm around his waist. Ryuji re-positioned himself so he wasn’t leaning so heavily on Rin, he’d hardly noticed how his feet were dragging against the ground sluggishly. He even failed to notice the beads of sweat on his brow from trying to keep the glamour up, especially with Rin standing right beside him. His glamour disappearing right now would be horrible.

Rin studied him for a second, brows pinched in concern, “Are you okay?”

Ryuji took a minute to process what he’d said, “Huh?”

“Are you okay?” Rin repeated a little slower than before, “I mean, you're obviously a little better because you’re not having too much trouble breathing, but are you feeling alright?”

Ryuji narrowed his eyes, “You’re changing the subject.”

“So are you,” Rin countered, adjusting himself a little so he could continue to help Ryuji forward.

“I don’t need help, y’know. I can walk on my own.” 

Rin pressed his lips into a thin line, stepping out of Ryuji’s reach quickly and leaving the Phoenix to stumble a few steps before tripping over nothing, “Sure, you can  _ totally _ walk on your own,” Rin scowled as he helped Ryuji to his feet, “Any more complaints?”

Ryuji rubbed at his hip, he’d fallen at an odd angle and managed to scrape it against the ground, “None I’ll say out loud.”

Rin nodded, satisfied, “Now, tell me. What type of sutra does that? I’m  _ sure _ it must be a  _ high level skill _ .”

Ryuji stiffened slightly, glancing at Rin from the corner of his eye. The Phoenix cracked a lopsided smile, trying to make an easy alibi, “I don’t know, maybe the thing was already dying?”

“Uh-huh,” Rin’s sudden change of emotion was really starting to scare Ryuji, did he  _ know _ ? “Well, it must have been from that  _ strange _ language you know,” Rin stopped again, this time turning fully to the Phoenix, still holding him up with an arm on his shoulder, but keeping an arms-length away from Ryuji so he could look him dead in the eyes. Rin’s eyes hardened, a brow quirking, “Suguro, what are you?” 

Ryuji’s breath hitched as one thought ran through his head:  _ Fuck _ .

* * *

Rin might not be the brightest person in the world, but he had always been good at piecing things together. Hell, he’d figured out this much. Suguro was not normal. Rin might be new to this, but some of the things just weren’t normal. He had a list going.

First, Suguro was always on edge. He wanted to chalk it up to being scared about demons, but the monk seemed like he didn’t care about them.

Then there was that presence that, anytime it was there, was  _ exactly _ where Suguro stood. Not only that, but Rin seemed to be the only one who could feel it. Like some weird ESP, sixth sensory crap. 

Not to mention, in class when Suguro and Izumo had started fighting (shocker) and Rin hadn’t been able to budge Suguro a little. Before he’d drawn the Koma sword, he might not have thought too much about that. Especially considering Suguro was well built. But nothing,  _ nothing _ , Rin found had been stronger than him since he used that sword. 

But Suguro acts as if he didn’t do anything. 

Rin had thought that had been the last straw, but that sutra…

Rin saw Suguro’s eyes. They weren’t brown, they were shining gold. Then he’d spoken those words and  _ bam! _ That demon went up in flames, all the while that presence was there.

So Rin had been pondering asking his friend about it, because he could understand. What if Suguro was in a similar situation as him and needed help? Then maybe, they wouldn’t be alone. Then maybe  _ Rin  _ wouldn’t be alone.

The demon had enjoyed the easy conversation with Suguro as they walked him to the infirmary (Which was kind of nice), but there was something else. Rin had been about to shake his head and save the what’s-going-on chat when he  _ finally  _ noticed a strange lump beneath the hand he had on Suguro’s waist. 

It was the exact same place Rin hid his tail. Rin wanted to believe this was impossible, but this was too much. So he stopped, turned to his friend, he hoped he’d still be his friend after this, and spoke, “Suguro, what are you?”

He  _ really _ hoped he was right about this. Maybe it would be good if Rin was just being paranoid. But with his luck, he wasn’t. 

The monk froze, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. He stood completely still for a few minutes, it was to the point that Rin wondered if he was going to respond at all. Suguro swallowed, clenching his jaw hard, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Rin pursed his lips, blinking slowly in the best are-you-kidding-me look known to man, “I think you know what I’m talking about. Why don’t you just tell me?” Rin’s brows pinched in worry, “Maybe I could help?”

Suguro blinked before tilting his head to the sky and chuckling, “Oh, so you want me to trust _ you _ with something, when you don’t even trust  _ me _ ?” Rin started, slowly removing his hands from Suguro’s shoulders. 

He took a moment to make sure his classmate wasn’t going to fall over before crossing his arms, biting his lip and looking directly at Suguro, “What do you mean?”

“Your little secret,” Suguro raised a brow, a cocky smirk painted across his face.

Rin pursed his lips, looking towards the ground as he tapped his fist to his thigh in thought. Suguro tilted his head to the side slightly, almost like he was trying to see Rin’s face. The half-demon was torn, he wanted to see if he was right about Suguro and help him if he wanted it, but he needed to keep his secret even more.

Rin huffed, throwing his hands in the air and turning full circle, “Look man, I was just trying to help. But if you don’t want it, fine! Let’s just get you to the infirmary like I'm supposed to.”

Rin slowly reached over to pull Suguro along, not bothering to support him like before. The monk looked anxious, his free hand fiddling with a pendant around his neck. Rin had never noticed it before, “Nice necklace,” He murmured, trying to find words to fill the tense silence. The conversation just seemed to make it worse.

“Thanks. It’s from my mom,” Suguro’s jaw was clenched tight. He looked like a robot, blank and replying on auto pilot. 

Rin nodded slightly. He was about to open his mouth and say something and make the tension even worse when Suguro faltered, tripping like he’d ran into a wall that had suddenly disappeared.

Suguro groaned, slowly rolling onto his back and glaring up at Rin. The half-demon honestly didn’t know if laughing would be appropriate, so he swallowed the giggles and bit his lip to hide the smile. 

Suguro pointed an accusing finger at nothing, “If I fall one more time, I’m gonna start throwing hands.”

Rin cracked a tiny grin, a pointed tooth peaking out over his lip slightly. The demon’s smile dropped immediately when he noticed his pointed tooth was visible. Suguro took notice of the sudden change and pulled himself off the ground, springing to his feet.

Rin jumped back, eyes wide, “Wait, you’re alright?!”

Suguro sighed, shrugging, “Must have had a limit.”

The half-demon snorted, shaking his head, “Man, this day can’t get any weirder.”

“Don’t jinx it.” 

Rin kicked at the ground, biting at his lip, “Hey, I’m sorry for before. Asking you that. I don’t know what got into me,” The half-demon looked up through his lashes, holding out his hand hesitantly, “Truce?”

Suguro seemed to mull this over before clasping Rin’s hand in his, “For now.”

* * *

Ryuji turned immediately, shoving his hands in his pockets. He began to walk away stiffly, sharp teeth grinding together to the point that he could hear the creek of his jaw. He needed to get out of this school,  _ now _ . He felt so stupid for thinking he could come here and safely learn without the danger of his secret being exposed. He had been selfish, thinking only of what  _ he _ wanted. Not what the rest of the Phoenix,  _ his people _ needed.

For the love of  _ Rā _ , he’d be lucky if this blew over once he left. Then he could spend a few months back in the Nome, get back to playing street hockey with his friends and getting his ass kicked by Rie in the ring. 

Rin jogged to catch up with the Phoenix, “So…” Ryuji pursed his lips, waiting for Rin to bring up their conversation again, “I honestly don’t know where the infirmary is, just the general direction.”

Ryuji whipped around, throwing a disbelieving look to the boy (No, he was a demon. The son of  _ The _ demon. Ryuji needed to get that into his head), “You mean to tell me you were going to lug me around,  _ hoping _ we’d come across the infirmary?”

Rin nodded slowly, “I thought you’d know where it was.”

“Unbelievable!” Ryuji threw his hands in the air, pointing his finger to the building they were besides. The dorm was only a block or two away, but they had walked slowly and stopped a lot because of the bickering, “Let’s just get inside and tell them there are more on the way.”

Rin shuffled inside, explaining the situation to the nurse at the front desk. She had an Exorcist badge hanging from the chain around her neck and listened intently to Rin before showing them into a large room with four hospital beds. She pushed Ryuji down to sit in a bed. 

The Phoenix tried to protest but was drowned out by the nurse arguing that Rin said he’d collapsed. The nurse grabbed Ryuji’s arm, the one covered in fresh cuts and scars. He yanked it back, hesitantly giving her the other one. The woman raised a brow before pressing a needle into his forearm, letting an IV drip into his skin. Ryuji grumbled, crossing his arms in annoyance as he watched Rin sit down on the other side of the bed, leaning against the foot board. 

His sword was resting at an awkward angle, Ryuji offhandedly wondered if it was annoying carrying it all day or if it was uncomfortable. That’s why magicians kept their supplies in the Duat. Mortals had many different names for it. The Veil, the Astral Plane, the Beyond or other strange things like that. Ryuji always wondered how mortals didn’t  _ see _ any of the magic and other beings around them.

For example, on really clear nights, if you looked hard enough, you could see the Viking’s World Tree. It isn’t an actual physical tree until you were on the same plane as it, but you can see the Nine Realms in the sky. The mortals called them different galaxies or star clusters, but they were actually the Nine Realms visible on Earth.

Ryuji didn’t know how they didn’t see Apollo, he was an annoying little shit, carrying the sun across the sky with any of the other sun gods from around the world. Or the millions of different gods from every religion doing their jobs throughout the world. Or the trillions of different beasts from every religion prowling the land. 

At least,  _ almost _ every religion. Japan’s mythology and Nome, which was actually called  _ Takamagahara, _ had been destroyed a century ago. It was awful, the Exorcists had been tipped off about them and massacred everyone inside Japan’s sanctuary, not just the demigods. Beasts, gods and other creatures were slaughtered without mercy. The Exorcists  _ boasted _ , they  _ laughed _ and called the beings they killed monsters when in reality, it was them. They became a lesson everyone is taught when they are young, drilled into their heads.

_ Don’t trust the Exorcists, don’t trust anyone.  _

He’d already broken that multiple times, starting when he was ten and getting worse when he decided to be an Exorcist. He wasn’t just doing it to destroy Satan, he was doing it to get inside and learn all their dirty secrets so he can teach the other Nomes how they think so they can avoid any other disasters like Japan. That was the deal the Council made with him when they gave him permission to go. 

There was something the Exorcists didn’t realize. Every beast, every mythology and god held the world in a balance, kept it running and safe. But the effect of losing the magic and gods from Japan had set the world in a dark age for the whole 20th century. 

Both world wars, the Great Depression, all the wars, the Holocaust, the rise of Communism, the nuclear weapons, the cold war,  _ everything _ .

The loss of the people in Japan didn’t start setting itself right until the 90s, and you could still see the pieces of things that haven’t yet healed to this day, some probably wouldn’t ever heal. It was like there was an emptiness you never noticed until you got out of the country. Some people from the Nomes, even some Mortals, had been driven insane by the absence. It was rare, but it did happen. 

It was happening in only one other place, America. The gods hadn’t been killed, nor their Nome destroyed or even discovered. They just left. The absence wasn’t as bad as the black hole that was Japan, probably because those gods were still around. The Native American’s Deities. They had practically been forced out, just like the Native Americans.

Only some remained. Ryuji had always been fearful. What would happen if the Egyptian gods left? Would they be forced to move elsewhere, or to go underground and hide for the rest of their lives. He couldn’t imagine how hard that would be, or how horrible it would be if the Exorcists or any other organization, like the KKK in America, found out about them.

Ryuji was stirred from the horrors of his thoughts by Rin nudging his leg with his foot, “You good? You look pale.”

The Phoenix lifted his bowed head, blowing a wavy lock from his face and nodding, “Just thinking.”

“Don’t hurt yourself,” Rin flashed a smile, pulling a weak tilt of the lips from the Phoenix. Rin worried at his lip, lowering his voice to a bare whisper. Ryuji wouldn’t have been able to hear if he had Mortal hearing, “I know you know something. I just want to thank you for not telling anybody yet.”

Ryuji ran his tongue over his sharp teeth, shaking his head, “I don’t rat you out, you don’t rat me out. For whatever we know about each other.”

Rin glanced up at him, nodding hurriedly. They sat in silence for a few minutes longer. Ryuji could hear his other classmates clamoring around outside before bursting into the lobby. Ryuji subtly steeled himself for the shouting that was about to follow as Shima and Konekomaru burst through the door to the room. 

The monks panted for a second before looking up and shouting, “Bon!” Simultaneously.


	14. Don't Test Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji's idea does not go as planned

Ryuji yelped when his friends dove at him, smothering him in a hug. The Phoenix winced, “Guys, air!”

Shima apologized and stood, but Koneko hugged him tighter for a few moments before standing and scolding him, “What the hell was that, Bon? Are you alright?”

Ryuji gulped, hoping his friend wasn’t talking about the spell he cast on the Ghoul, “I’m alright.”

The monk nodded before crossing his arms slightly, “Then why did you look like you were dying? Ghoul fluids don’t do that.”

“No,” Ryuji murmured, looking past the two to find Yukio just now walking through the door with Shiemi cradled in his arms and Izumo standing grumpily behind them, giving Takara and Yamada the side eye, “They don’t,” Ryuji made to stand, only to get pushed back down by Shima.

“Nuh-huh, you collapsed, you stay.”

“Absolutely not! Moriyama needs it more,” Ryuji argued, gesturing to the unconscious blonde.

“There are other beds, Suguro,” Yukio said, moving to the empty bed to the side of the one Ryuji and Rin were sitting on. He gingerly set Shiemi down before shifting out of the way to let the nurse check on the girl.

The rest of the class situated themselves on the edge of the two beds, taking turns holding out their arms for the nurse.

Ryuji caught a flash of pink out of the corner of his eyes, Mephisto was standing in the doorway. He locked eyes with the Phoenix before drifting back out of view. Ryuji narrowed his eyes and stood. The nurse tried to sit him back down forcibly only for the Phoenix to swat her away, rip out the IV (which was doing absolutely nothing except looking fancy in his arm) and storm into the hall. Chita, the oldest and best physician in the First Nome, was going to kill him for that. 

He could hear the others calling out in surprise but he ignored them in light of storming down the hall in the direction of Mephisto’s wretched perfume. Yes, it smelled that bad.

He turned a corner, coming face-to-face with the grinning demon. Mephisto tipped his hat, umbrella twirling in his gloved hand, “Why, Suguro. This is a surprise. Tell me, how can I help you?”

“You can cut the crap,” Ryuji scowled, crossing his arms protectively across his chest. He doubted the head master would attack him here, but at this point, he wouldn’t put anything past the clown and his Exorcist lapdogs. 

Mephisto batted his eyes innocently, “I don’t know what you mean. Though, I do hope you are alright,” A coy smile played across his lips, baring two sharp fangs. Ryuji chuckled, they reminded him of the dainty vampire fangs from Twilight. Just to show off, Ryuji bared his own teeth. They looked normal at first, until you saw the row of sharp fangs replacing most of his molars. Mephisto flinched as the Phoenix continued, “I have never seen a Ghoul do that to anyone, or anything before.”

“You and I both know the Ghoul isn’t what did that, neither did a ward. It was a spell,” Mephisto blinked in surprise, watching Ryuji with a wary look that pulled a scoff from the Phoenix’s throat, “Didn’t think I’d catch that, did you?”

Mephisto was silent, Ryuji swore he looked frightened, at least a little bit. The Phoenix puffed out his chest, standing a little straighter, “As much as I’d like to call you out for that and whoop your ass, that’s not why I followed you.”

Mephisto swallowed thickly, so unlike his usual cocky self. Ryuji had that effect on people, making them lose their cool, if he wanted. It was a handy tool he’d learned along with many others of his kind, “Oh? And why did you follow me?”

“To talk,” Mephisto raised a violet brow, his attention obviously piqued. He gestured for Ryuji to continue. The Phoenix took a deep breath before speaking, “I quit.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I quit, I’m done. I don’t know what you and your little  _ lap dogs  _ do here, but I don’t want any part of it. I’m leaving. I want you to un-enroll me from True Cross Academy and the Cram School.”

Mephisto steeled himself, pulling an uncertain smile on his face, “I don’t think you fully understand my power-”

“Oh, I think I do.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Your a half-cocked son of a bitch who thinks he can get by telling scary stories to Mortals so they chase their tails long enough so they never realize just how powerless you are or how you don’t even know anything about the real situation of the world because you were blinded by the stories Daddy told you so you didn’t steal from the  _ Rā _ -damned cookie jar. That or you like acting smart and cool so you can be left alone to play your real-life chess game with Mortals without getting caught.”

Mephisto was left stammering, “You don’t… you have… you know nothing of what you speak!”

Ryuji huffed out a laugh, twirling his finger in the air, “You think I didn’t notice your little stunt? This entire class is filled with demons, those interesting characters you were talking about. Izumo Kamiki. Oh, and don’t think I didn’t notice you have the son of Satan here as well. Yeah, not so slick on that one.”

Mephisto’s face hardened, he brought up a purple gloved hand, pointing in the Egyptian’s face, “Now listen here-”

“You don’t know what you’re playing at. You think you can whip out a little ancient magic to make your experiment more interesting?”

Mephisto snarled, slamming Ryuji into the wall by his throat. The Phoenix growled, flashing razor sharp teeth, “Now listen here. You will  _ not _ be leaving True Cross.”

“ _ Excuse me? _ ” Ryuji snapped, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t leave!” Ryuji waited for a beat before shaking his head, Mephisto tightened his grip on his neck, “Exactly, you can’t without jeopardizing whatever little  _ plan _ you concocted in that sick head of yours.”

Mephisto slowly retracted his hand from Ryuji’s neck, jaw tightening, “If you don’t stay, he’ll kill you.”

“Who-?” Ryuji was cut off by a man appearing in a puff of pink smoke, courtesy of Mephisto. He was older with slate gray hair thinned from age. His eyes were dull brown with a strange glint in them. He held a staff at his side formed from gnarled wood, it looked like it would collapse to dust any second. The mark of a Rogue.

Ryuji scoffed, turning his head to the side, “Of course, you’re not doing this for you. How’d you manage to find a Rogue?”

“Rash and I go way back, but that is of little importance right now. What does matter, is if you try to leave, Rash here will see to it that you don’t make it to the city borders,” Ryuji’s eyes darted to the Rogue, noticing the shine of a weak glamour on the right side of his body. Ryuji had a sneaking suspicion it concealed a Backlash Scar. He was probably someone who had gone rogue after learning only a few spells. That’s what usually happened. They thought they were tough shit, tried a forbidden spell or an extremely hard spell that back lashed because it was too powerful for them to handle and got kicked out because of it. He doubted this man had powerful magic, but he didn’t want to risk it.

“And what if I do try to escape?”

Mephisto leaned in close, whispering in his ear, “Then I’ll tell the Grigori what you are. And neither of us want that, now do we?”

Ryuji swallowed thickly. He could escape, but if the Grigori found out what he was, it would put all of his kind in danger. Repeating the Japan Disaster, even if Mephisto wasn’t fully aware of what he was. Ryuji sighed, glancing at his feet, “Fine. You win. But don’t think this is over.”

“Oh, I do hope you’re right,” Mephisto smirked, turning his back to walk further down the hall. Rash stepped forward, spitting at the Phoenix’s feet. Ryuji clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to break the man’s nose.

“Filth,” Rash sneered before storming after Mephisto.

Ryuji waited a moment before whipping around, slamming his fist into the wall with a yell. He breathed a heavy sigh, resting his forehead against the cool tile, “Dammit,” He whispered. He slowly fished his phone from his pocket, pressing it to his ear to look like he wasn’t talking to himself. He didn’t bother dialing his mother’s number, “Mom?”

There was a moment of pause before his mother’s voice filled his ears, “Ryuji, what’s wrong?”

She sounded far away. Everything Ryuji heard from a distance had a certain muffled sound to it, but each sound was still clear, at least to him, “We have a problem.”

“What do you mean?”

Ryuji gulped, glancing around the hall. It was empty, at least his eyes said it was. He could hear people milling around nearby, he didn’t trust that he wasn’t being watched, “ _ F ȧm tcha ḥer pan āftet _ ,” It’s not safe here. He really hoped his mother understood the unspoken message to be careful with her words.

His mother understood, but that didn’t stop her from questioning it, “ _ Ȧqeset ȧrmā ta meṭ kheperu? _ ” What’s with the speech change? There was no word for “language” in Ancient Egypt, just like many other words. A lot of the time you had to translate things literally. Ryuji’s favorite translation was probably for cream cheese,  _ shent ȧrtet _ . Or more literally translated as “flesh milk.”

Rie had been scared to eat that when she was younger because she thought there was actually flesh in it. Ryuji never passed up a chance to tease her about that. 

“ _ Mestcher bu neb _ ,” Ears everywhere. He didn’t care if they weren’t actually listening, he was not about to risk it.

He could hear his mother growl low from Kyoto, a  _ thwack! _ of something being kicked following before her voice joined the angry growling, “ _ Tuȧ shu entuten em  _ ȧr _! _ ” I want you home  _ now _ ! 

Ryuji gulped, it was an order. One he couldn’t follow, “ _ Tuȧ ȧti _ ,” I can’t. He whispered, he knew his mother could still hear it, maybe with a little more difficulty, but she would understand it fine. 

“ _ Ȧr ḳert tem _ ?” Why not? His mother was seething. Oh, he was so dead.

“Mephisto, he-” Ryuji cut himself off before explaining, catching the Japanese quickly, “ _ Nef erṭā ȧu senṭ er bu meṭu n-ȧ, er bu meṭu n! _ ” He threatened to expose me, to expose us! Although Mephisto might not know about others like him considering his friend didn’t sense the Phoenix standing right in front of him or the fucking  _ Prince _ of the Nome. Which meant Mephisto was still in the dark with what he  _ really _ was. 

“ _ Peti? _ ” What? There were so many different ways to say one simple thing. His Mom taught him to use every word so he doesn’t get confused. Most people taught their kids every variation possible. 

“ _ Ten setem n-ȧ _ ,” You heard me, “ _ Nefa tem nebt _ ,” That's not all. He could feel his mother still, the way the air seemed to freeze around her, “ _ Mephisto kher sa Kharsatȧ. Tuȧ shu ten er petrȧ ȧu su n ȧ _ ,” Mephisto has a Rogue. I want you to look into him for me.

His mother sighed, he could imagine her pinching her nose, trying to rub the tiredness from her face, “ _ Ȧr ḳert kat em su ḳem sa? Sen maāt ment ḥer ḥapu! _ ” How did he find one? They usually stay in hiding. He knew what she meant. It was the law that if a Rogue was found, they needed to be reported and brought in. Sometimes the Council could convince them to come back to the Nome and learn magic properly. Others were banished for using Forbidden spells but escaped before their magic could be stripped. 

Ryuji shrugged even though his mother couldn’t see it, “ _ F mȧtet Mephisto khemt su setcha _ ,” It’s like Mephisto knew him well. Ryuji thought so because of that damned spell. Only a strong magician could pull a spell with that strength off, and with difficulty. He had to have help, and Mephisto was a freaking demon, maybe he had some demon things up his sleeve. They had to have been planning this. Ryuji was afraid this was bigger than just him.

“ _ Ȧsi pa Kharsatȧ tut? _ ” What was the Rogue like? He could feel his mother using her king-voice, the one she reserved for when something was going South but she had to be strong.

Ryuji bit his lip, explaining the experience to the best of his abilities. His mother was hardly surprised when he admitted to thinking the Rogue had a Backlash Scar. His mother promised to look into him and see if there were any known Rogues going by “Rash.”

“Is there anything else?” Ryuji didn’t bother pointing out the language switch.

The Phoenix bit his lip kicking at the wall slightly, “Yeah,” He whispered, “There’s a boy-”

“Oh? Is he cute?” 

“ _ Mut! _ ” Mom! His mother cackled at her son’s embarrassment. Ryuji pursed his lips, lowering his voice to almost nothing, “Yeah, he’s cute.”

His mother cooed from the other end, “My  _ sefi ḥun _ is in love!”

Ryuji flushed furiously, “Stop calling me that, Mom! I’m not a baby anymore.”

“You’ll always be my baby boy,  _ sefi ḥun _ ,” Ryuji rolled his eyes at the use of the same words one right after the other.

“But… um,” Ryuji didn’t really know how to word this correctly without sounding like an asshole, “He’s Satan’s son.”

His mother went silent for a moment before making a small, “Huh,” It wasn’t a question more like she was surprised or maybe a little impressed, “Why’s that a  _ seṭeb?” _

“Why is it a problem?” Ryuji repeated, “Because he’s the  _ son _ of the  _ Nāȧu _ !” 

He could practically  _ feel _ his mother roll her eyes, a disappointed sigh escaping her mouth, “If your friends found out about you, would you want them to react like this?”

Ryuji stilled, his lips parting slightly as he stared blankly at the wall. He slowly shook his head, the phone lowering to his side, “ _ Enti _ ,” No.

“That’s what I thought,” His mother hummed in approval, “Now, I want you to play nice and give him a chance! You have no idea what’s  _ really _ going on.”

“But he called Satan ‘Dad’!” Ryuji argued back.

“Do you know the context? Maybe he was calling someone else ‘Dad’ and you jumped to conclusions,” Ryuji shrunk in on himself, feeling shame pooling in his gut.

“ _ Ȧb _ ,” Sorry. His voice was small and sincere.

His mother sighed heavily, “I don’t like the situation, but I guess we can’t do anything about it right now,” Ryuji shook his head, forgetting to answer verbally, his mother seemed to be doing something similar, “Alright, I want you to cast a  _ Karȧ _ spell.”

Ryuji blinked in surprise, “A Sanctuary Spell? Are you crazy? Where would I cast it?”

“Find some place!” 

His mother sounded desperate so he sighed, agreeing, “I’ll need my stuff.”

“I’ll toss it into the  _ Duat _ for you,” His mother sounded slightly better at his compliance, continuing to lecture him on the spell which he knew easily, “Make sure to make it big enough for your wings!”

“I know, Mom.”

“And make a  _ Shabti _ keeper! Or I could just send you Shabby as well?”

“You will not throw the cat into the  _ Duat _ !” Now it was Ryuji’s turn to scold his mother, running a hand down his face, “Look, I’ll make sure to do everything right so don't worry. I need to get back to the others.”

His mother sounded hesitant when she murmured a shaking, “Alright.”

Ryuji gnawed at his lip, piercing his soft skin accidentally. He grimaced at the fiery tang of iron on his tongue, “Is there anything else?”

Torako seemed to mull this over before humming, “Call Rie. She’s up my ass. Azal is having trouble keeping her occupied and even Solveig is having trouble trying to keep her from worrying because I haven’t had the time to explain much to her. But she knows something's up.”

Ryuji winced, “Sorry ‘bout that. I’ll talk to her tonight.”

“Thank  _ Rā _ !” Ryuji knew his mother loved Rie and him, but he knew they could be a handful at times. As if to prove this, his mother muttered, “The two of you are gonna give me grey hairs!”

“You already have grey hairs,” Ryuji joked, earning an outraged shout from his mother. The Prince laughed gently, ignoring the teasing taunts from his mother as he occasionally sent his own back.

“Suguro?” Ryuji froze, turning to find Rin peeking around the corner. He looked confused, “Who’re you talking to?”

The Phoenix blinked, waving his phone in the air, “My Mom?”

“With your phone in your pocket?”

“It was in my hand, but yeah. Earbud,” He tapped the ear on the side Rin couldn’t see, “I gotta go, Mom. Talk to you later.”

He mimed taking out earbuds and stuffing them in his pocket with his phone. His mother gasped, “Is that Rin? He sounds sweet! Give him a kiss for me!”

“Shut up!” Ryuji growled.

Rin blinked, crossing his arms, “Excuse me?”

“Not you!” Ryuji was quick to answer, waving his arms around frantically as his face flushed all the way up to his ears. 

Rin leaned back slightly, his lips parted as he nodded slowly, “Okay… um, I just wanted to talk. But if now’s a bad time I can come back later-”

“No-no, it’s fine!” Ryuji felt stupid tripping over his words like this.

Rin perked up slightly, pointing his fingers together nervously, “So, I think I know what you know about me… and I think you know what I know about you so I was wondering if we could-” Rin was cut off by Ryuji pressing a hand to the demon’s mouth, muffling his words.

Rin looked between Ryuji’s calloused hand and the Phoenix a few times before tilting a confused brow, “Not here, someone will hear.”


	15. Another Secret Bites the Dust

Rin’s brows pinched, eyes crossing to glance down at his friend’s hand again. Slowly, he reached up to pull Suguro’s hand down. It felt rough in his hand, calloused and bigger than Rin’s slimmer fingers. He kind of liked it. 

Suguro slowly removed Rin’s hand from his with a blush on his face, eyes cast to the side slightly. Rin tilted his body to get into his line of sight, “So, when  _ can _ we talk?”

Suguro hummed, seeming to mull this over as his head bobbed side to side. His face seemed to brighten like an idea sparked his interest. Rin had noticed that about Suguro, his face was  _ extremely _ expressive, at least when he was not as on edge, “In two days, meet me at the fountain in the courtyard after Cram Class.”

“Why there?”

Suguro crossed his arms, “Just trust me, alright?”

Rin blinked before nodding, kicking the floor awkwardly, “I should get back to the others before Yukio worries,” Rin cringed at his brother's name, he really didn’t want to go back and face his brother. It was bad enough they shared a room and had the whole building to themselves, meaning no one was around to distract him or that Rin could hang with in an attempt to hide from his brother. 

Suguro reached forward, resting a hand on Rin’s shoulder. The half-demon jerked at the sudden contact, swatting his friend away before freezing. Suguro blinked in surprise, his face twisting in worry, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah!” Rin answered way too quickly, voice cracking. Clearing his throat, Rin spoke up again, “Just nerves from the fight,” Rin hoped Suguro would take the lie even if he didn’t believe it. 

The half-demon didn’t give his friend time to speak before rushing around the corner to find the room the rest of the class was occupying. Rin stopped just beside the door, back resting against the wall. He took a deep breath, standing up straighter and trying to act cool and joyful as he stepped into the room with a smile.

* * *

Ryuji stared in surprise at where Rin had been standing just a moment ago. The Phoenix looked down at his hand, head tilting to the side. Had he upset him? Ryuji was tempted to follow Rin and ask but thought it better to wait until they could talk. 

Ryuji had had the bright idea to bring Rin to wherever he cast the Sanctuary spell. He’d have to look around for a nice clearing tonight to cast it in. 

The Phoenix slowly started making his way back to the room. When he stepped through, Rin was sitting on the edge of the bed Shiemi was taking up. Ryuji sighed, snatching a chair from the side of the room and sitting so he could fold his arms across the back of the chair.

Konekomaru pursed his lips at Ryuji, giving him a disapproving look for sitting backwards in the chair. Ryuji just stuck his tongue out before glancing over at Rin. The demon was sulking, lips pressed in a pout with his shoulders slumped low, “I can’t believe that was a test. Why didn’t they tell us?!” Rin threw his hands in the air, pressing his palm to his eyes, “This totally sucks!”

Ryuji shrugged, noticing how Konekomaru had started to shake with nerves, hands clutching to his head, “I failed! I just know it!”

The Phoenix blinked, rolling his eyes slightly, “You’ll be fine. Besides, whatever happened can’t be changed. Whatever happens is up to fate now.”

Rin blinked at him, “Dude, that was deep.”

Ryuji rested his chin on his crossed arms, raising a brow. Konekomaru jumped up, pacing back and forth, “That’s easy for you to say! You’ll do fine!”

Ryuji rolled his eyes, about to speak up before Izumo beat him to it, “I totally failed,” Izumo went on, explaining why, but the Phoenix was distracted by the game Yamada was using beeping constantly. Ryuji growled, eye twitching as the beeping and whirring of the machine continued. He contemplated using a spell to break it but was distracted by Yamada looking up and glaring at him.

Ryuji stiffened, snarling, “At least you actually did something, unlike  _ some people! _ ”

Shima sighed, “Really, man? Quit worrying about others.”

Ryuji grumbled, “Whatever. They’re gonna fail anyway,” Ryuji shrugged. At least that strange girl would be out of his hair. One problem down, about a trillion left to go. 

Yamada snorted, her tongue sticking out slightly, “Yes! Upgrade!” She seemed to be uncaring and focused more on the game. 

Ryuji rolled his eyes, he didn’t really expect them to answer anyway. Takara paused from talking to his creepy rabbit puppet to talk to them,  _ through _ the puppet, “Shut up, Punk!”

The Phoenix startled before whipping around, gripping onto the back of his chair with hands,  _ clawed _ hands, as he growled lowly at the boy, “Don’t call me a fucking punk!” 

Konekomaru smacked his shoulder hard, pinning him down with a glare. Ryuji subtly removed his claws from the wooden chair, not noticing the short lines made from the claws. The monk grabbed the demon roughly, pretending to inspect his head, “There must be a glitch. He seems to have an inability to  _ listen _ .”

Ryuji yelped, fighting to push Konekomaru’s hands off his head, thankfully his claws had retracted, “Get off me you  _ Āāu! _ ”

Konekomaru gripped his hair harder, “Do  _ not _ call me an ass!”

Ryuji was pushing at his friend. But not hard enough to easily throw him off. Rin gawked at them, shouting in surprise while Ryuji continued to curse under his breath, “You can understand that language?!”

Konekomaru let go suddenly, sending Ryuji flying back and off his chair from trying to pull away, “Oh, we don’t!”

Shima snorted into his hand before nodding at Rin, “Yeah. There are just a few words he’s said enough that we understand them. ‘Ass’ is one of them.”

Rin blinked in surprise, bouncing excitedly, “That’s so cool! What other words do you guys know?”

Shima tapped his chin, ignoring Ryuji’s protests and flushed face as he crawled back onto his seat, “Well, I think  _ ‘Ȧu ta mertu n Rā’ _ is ‘Oh my god.’”

Rin nodded vigorously, hanging on every word. His eyes seemed to sparkle slightly at the topic, which obviously interested him. Ryuji blinked, a fond smile pulling at his lips.

Konekomaru tilted his head, “Really? I thought ‘Oh my god’ was  _ ‘Ȧu pa ȧb em Rā _ .’”

Ryuji rolled his eyes, resting his chin in his hand. Watching Rin’s eyes light up eagerly, “There are different variations for things. Also, the translation is wrong,” The three teens whipped around suddenly, startling the Phoenix badly enough that he thought he’d fall from his chair again. 

The boys leaned forward eagerly, seeming to wait for the demon to answer. Ryuji sighed, sinking down slightly at being the center of attention, “It means ‘For the love of  _ Rā _ ,’” He murmured, “Same concept, though.”

“ _ Rā _ ? Who’s that?” Konekomaru’s head tilted curiously, “Is it like a different name for ‘God?’”

Ryuji bit at his lip, nodding slightly. The argument of if he was lying or not could go either way.  _ Rā _ is the Egyptian king of the gods, god of the sun. But he’s not the god Konekomaru was referring to. 

Rin’s brows pinched, his face turned to the floor before dawning spread across his face, “Wait!” The excitable teen jumped to his feet, pointing to Ryuji, “You mean  _ Rā _ , as in the Egyptian god  _ Rā _ ?”

Ryuji blinked in surprise, “How did you-”

“I’m a sucker for mythologies!” Rin waved offhandedly. He was silent for a moment before gaining another burst of energy. He jumped forward, getting in Ryuji’s face. Rin was leaning close, his hands resting on the back of Ryuji’s chair, brushing against Ryuji's own hands. The Phoenix was leaning back slightly, face flushing dangerously, “That language you’re speaking, is it Egyptian?”

“You mean Arabic?” Ryuji raised a brow, shaking his head, “No.”

Rin stood up, much to the relief of Ryuji who was attempting to cover his red face in his folded arms. Rin was waving his hands around, “No no no! I meant Egyptian!  _ Ancient Egyptian! _ Like the hieroglyphs!”

Ryuji paled considerably, stumbling over his words, “Wh-what do you mea-mean? That’s-”

“How do you say ‘life?’”

The Phoenix narrowed his eyes, “That won’t prove anything.”

“Just say it!”

“ _ Ankh _ ,” Ryuji shrugged, expecting Rin to immediately wilt. Some people did know  _ Ankh _ meant life, and some even had the symbol somewhere in their house. But he doubted Rin would know that… hopefully.

Rin jumped up, pumping his fist in the air, “Hah! I was right!”

Shima jumped up, “What?! Why didn’t you tell us?”

Ryuji opened his mouth, about to answer when Izumo snorted. She had been strangely quiet to the point Ryuji had completely forgotten she was here, “That’s bullshit. The language is called  _ ancient _ for a reason. It’s dead.”

“It’s dead, not forgotten,” Ryuji argued.

Rin sat back down, startling Shiemi awake. That seemed to distract everyone for a moment. The blonde sat up, blinking blearily as she rubbed at her green eyes. Rin winced, turning to look at her gently with a comforting hand resting against her shoulder. Ryuji glanced at the ground, a strange feeling resting heavily in his heart. What the hell was that? “Sorry to wake you.”

Shiemi hummed, still out of it, “It’s alright. What’re you talking about?”

Ryuji sighed, trying to shake off the feeling, “The exam,” The Phoenix covered Konekomaru’s mouth when he tried pointing out the language-thing as well. Ryuji turned back to the girl, bowing his head slightly, “You outdid yourself. I don’t know what would have happened without you. Seriously, thank you.”

Shiemi blushed deeply, “What? No-no. I didn’t do that good!”

“Oh come on!” Shima exclaimed, “You did  _ amazing _ ! If you don’t pass, none of us will!”

Shiemi’s face turned bright red, hiding her face in her hands. She was murmuring under her breath, “It’s not that big of a deal.”

Ryuji chuckled lightly, about to correct the girl when Konekomaru looked to Rin, suddenly changing the subject, “I’ve been meaning to ask. How’d you beat the Ghoul?!”

Rin chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, “I stabbed it?”

The Phoenix rolled his eyes, huffing a laugh. Rin sent him a small look, eyes pleading with him to keep quiet. Ryuji nodded slightly, egging on his story with ease, “How’d you do that?”

Rin sighed in relief, going on to exaggerate his story, their classmates hanging onto every word.

* * *

Ryuji was sitting at the desk in his dorm, foot bouncing restlessly. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, letting the stars shine clearly in the cloudless night. The Phoenix glanced over to his friends, they were both fast asleep. Finally. 

Ryuji had been waiting for hours for them to fall asleep so he could sneak out. The boy carefully pushed open the window in front of him, crawling through and gripping onto the ledge to close it again. 

The Phoenix looked to the ground. Their dorm was on the second floor, which didn’t give him enough time to let his wings lift him into the air. He was going to have to get a running start. 

Ryuji groaned, sliding down a gutter to land softly on the ground. The Phoenix palmed at the shirt on his chest, the one Etsuko had lent him, as he looked around for anyone who may be watching. His head tilted side to side, listening to the sounds around him. He sighed when none of the sounds seemed too close. 

Ryuji began to run down the path leading away from the dorms. It was shielded by trees on both sides, but the path was still wide enough for his wings to spread. The Phoenix sped up, sneaker clad feet pounding against the ground as he let his glamour ebb away. 

Huge wings flapped behind him, the wind picking him up shakily. Ryuji bounded across the canopy of trees, tail snapping out for balance, before propelling himself into the sky with a powerful push of his legs.

Below, the thick branch Ryuji had jumped from snapped and fell to the grassy ground. Ryuji smiled, flashing sharp teeth, and rocketed into the clear night sky. The Phoenix laughed, diving down to let his wing skim across the waves of a small beach. Ryuji wouldn’t have noticed it if it wasn’t for hearing the waves each night once the noise of the city died down.

The salty air rustled his feathers, lines of white in the water following in his wake. Ryuji’s smile brightened as he banked up, reaching up to the sky with clawed fingers. He flew up high, higher than the tallest building at True Cross.

Then he fell.

Tucking his wings to his body and falling backwards to the huge ocean. Ryuji tilted his head back, watching the water glitter under the full moon as it drew closer and closer. Until Ryuji twisted, wings snapping out suddenly. 

A shockwave went through the water as Ryuji stopped suddenly and flew towards the beach. Ryuji tilted his wings so he could fly above the trees, scanning for a good place to cast the spell.

The Phoenix noticed a small clearing surrounded by a dense line of trees. The clearing rested on the top of a small cliff. Only a few meters down the rocky bluff was the raging tide. Ryuji brought his wings up, landing harshly on his feet. 

Ryuji winced, shaking out his feet to rid them of the pins and needles. He forgot how hard landing could be on your body. Ryuji groaned, kneeling down to rub at his ankles, maybe he would ask his mom to send him his special flight boots. They had metal heels and gel-like souls to absorb the impact of landing with less damage done to someone’s legs. 

Ryuji glanced around, nodding to himself as he turned full circle to inspect his surroundings. The clearing wasn’t large, probably only the size of half the courtyard at the school. There was a small trail to his side, cutting through the trees. It was barely wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side. 

The clearing was surrounded by a dense forest of trees and a plethora of different plants. The only side lacking the trees was the cliff to Ryuji’s side. The view of the sky was perfect. Stars and realms shining overhead. 

Ryuji laughed, falling backwards into the soft grass. The grass swayed in the night breeze, tickling at Ryuji’s skin. The Phoenix sighed, relishing in the peace. Well,  _ almost _ peace. There were still sirens, and screams and way too much talking for the time of night. 

Ryuji groaned, picking himself up and shaking blades of grass from his wings. He sighed heavily, holding his hand out to the side, feeling for the Duat. He felt a pull deep in his gut as he felt for the magic, pulling it towards him. The air beside him wavered, swirling with deep colors before flinging out a duffel bag and a tall wooden staff. 

Ryuji managed to catch the staff but missed the duffel. The canvas bag sailed straight to his face, hitting his nose. Ryuji yelped, dropping the staff and clutching at his face, a slew of curses escaping his lips. 

The Phoenix glared at the pile of canvas on the ground and grabbed it roughly, keeping one hand against his nose. Just his luck, his spell book was probably what hit him. And that thing was heavy.

Ryuji pulled the zipper open, inspecting the contents. There were different charms and small books. Ryuji grabbed one, noticing it was his Book of Symbols. It contained every mythological symbol that could be helpful. It was small enough to fit in his pocket, but Ryuji just set it down.

The Phoenix crossed his legs, sitting down to riffle through the bag. His mother really outdid herself, making sure everything he could possibly need was inside. There was a long roll of ribbon and twine, both helpful for certain spells. A crystal Obelisk was tucked into a side pocket along with his wand. It was long, made from the wood of an Acacia tree. When he used it, flames would wrap around the smooth wood. 

When he was younger, he would run around with Rie. Both of them pretending to be wizards from Hogwarts. Shouting the Latin spells (which sadly don’t work) at each other as they raced through the streets.

However, Ryuji didn’t often use his wand. At least not when he could choose. Most magicians only used their wands if they needed to conceal their casting with a spell too powerful for their amulet. 

Ryuji tucked his wand into his sock, covering the lump with his sweatpants. Usually, Ryuji would wear a holster on his thigh to hold his wand more comfortably, or sometimes he would use the clips on his flight boots to hold it in place. But, right now, that would make it too obvious. 

Ryuji sighed, rolling his ankle to rid himself of the uncomfort brought by his wand before inspecting the Obelisk carefully. The crystal was pure, free of cracks or foggy parts. It usually sat on his desk back in his room in Kyoto so he could easily travel to the Nome without sneaking around the town for a secluded spot to reveal his wings.

Ryuji tucked the crystal back into the side pocket before peaking into the main compartment. His mother had wrapped a length of leather around his weapons, tying it tightly with a piece of string, so they wouldn’t move around too much and puncture anything. Although, the tips stuck out the slightest bit.

Ryuji gingerly pulled the bundle from the bag, setting it in his lap and unwinding the string tentatively. The rough leather fell away to reveal his Khopesh, a dagger with a twisted blade, a pair of serrated combat knives, and a holster of black throwing knives. 

Ryuji rubbed his hand down his face, whining slightly as he murmured under his breath, “What do you think is gonna happen, Mom? I’m not going to  _ war _ !”

The Phoenix shook his head, hardly listening to his mother shouting about “safety” and other crap. 

Ryuji rubbed at his temples, tail twitching irritably. His mother was still going so he threw his hands in the air and shouted, “Alright alright! I get it!”

His mother paused for a second before humming, “ _ Nefer _ ,” Good, and going silent. At least to him.

Ryuji’s eye ticked as he delicately grabbed at his Khopesh, inspecting it mutely. He ran a cautious finger over the edge of the blade, glaring at the weapon with disdain. The Phoenix hadn’t so much as touched the weapon since... _ that _ . 

Ryuji shuddered, hesitantly wrapping calloused fingers around the weapon, treating it like a bomb that would go off any second. The craftsman ship was rather lovely, and Ryuji had loved the Khopesh since the day he got it, training tirelessly to become an amazing fighter with every and any weapon he could get his hands on. 

The sharp blade started as a regular sword before curving in the shape of a stretched “C” and ending in an upturned point. 

The gold-like metal was sharp, just as Ryuji had left it. He may have hated the sight of the weapon, but that didn’t mean he left it in disrepair. Although, he would just use a spell so he wouldn’t have to touch the thing. 

Ryuji always kept his weapons in prime condition, as taught by his mother. Rie always poked fun at him for it even though she would check over her weapons everyday to make sure everything was in good condition just like him. 

Ryuji’s hand grazed the leather wrapping at the hilt. The brown leather was rough from use and stained. Ryuji glanced at his hand, swallowing thickly when he noticed a red powder coating his palm. Ryuji could feel his heart pounding, his hands shaking as he dropped the Khopesh to the ground. 

Ryuji needed to rewrap the leather. There was no way he’d be able to wield the weapon, even if the chance was extremely slim, with a blood-stained leather wrapped hilt. Not fucking happening. 

The Phoenix checked the bag again, feeling to see if his mother had packed a spool of leather. Ahah! Ryuji triumphantly brought out the roll, setting the rest of his weapons to the side, beginning to diligently remove the worn wrapping from the hilt of the Khopesh and rewrap it with the new leather. Ryuji would have gladly ripped the offending material from the weapon with his claws, but damaging the sword was high on the list of “Don’t ever do this” for the majority of magicians. 

Since a Khopesh, like an amulet a staff or even a wand, held magical properties, a magician only received one of each type. If their Khopesh was destroyed, they were forced the fight with a regular sword or any other weapon they could. Just like how having a destroyed staff, wand, or amulet was one of the worst punishments for people like them. 

Ryuji hummed slightly as he carefully wrapped the exposed metal in fresh leather, having already burned the old leather to cinders, he was glad to have any remnants of  _ that _ out of his sight as possible. 

Ryuji had just severed the end of the leather with a serrated knife and sealed it down with a simple spell when he heard gunfire and screams pierce the air. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, please read this! 
> 
> The next chapter is most likely going to be late. I'm working on some technical details and translations (which are a pain in my ass because every Egyptian word is actually a word). The reason for this is the next chapter is going to have more spells and some I haven't fully come up with the English translation for yet. 
> 
> Please be patient with me, I'm working on the spells a lot to make sure this story is filled with the real Ancient Language and that your reading experience is better each time a chapter is uploaded.
> 
> Thank you guys for the support and understanding! I hope you love this story as much as I enjoy writing it. Have a good day/night and be safe!
> 
> ~ Pax


	16. Fight on the Roof

Ryuji froze, head snapping up. Feathered ears swiveled, flicking towards the noise. The Phoenix jumped to his feet, sword dropping to the ground. Ryuji grasped his staff and ran towards the cliff, jumping off and rocketing himself into the air with a powerful beat of his wings as he launched towards the sounds. 

Ryuji closed his eyes, honing in on the sounds. They were coming from the Old Boy’s Dormitory. Ryuji paled, banking up high enough to stay out of sight. His tail was twitching worriedly, he really hoped Rin was alright. 

Ryuji didn’t bother wondering why he was only worried about Rin when Yukio was in the dorm as well. But he found he didn’t much care, as long as Rin was alright. The door to the roof slammed open, Mr. Neuhaus sprinting across the rough concrete with Yukio close behind, gun raised to the tamer. 

“ _ You _ don’t get to kill my brother!” Yukio shouted, he sounded pissed, growling lowly. Ryuji gulped, strangely  _ afraid _ of Rin’s brother. The way he said that, it didn’t sound how it should. Yukio didn’t even look like he was trying to protect Rin, just his own skin. 

“What the-” Ryuji murmured, cut off by Mr. Neuhaus shouting something. Sending ghoulish hands that shot from his skin across the roof. His arms were covered in magic circles and dripping with fresh blood. 

Yukio shot the hands with deadly precision, each one rupturing into foul smelling black sludge. 

Ryuji gagged, waving his hand in front of his face.  _ Rā _ , he really hated his senses sometimes. The Phoenix watched the two Exorcists battle in a way that could only be described as dramatic. He should get closer, just to make sure they didn’t kill each other. Although Ryuji couldn’t care less. Ryuji huffed, head bowing in annoyance, waving his staff in front of him, “ **_Ȧn maa-n-tu_ ** ,” Unseen.

Ryuji watched in satisfaction as the rough, warped wood of his staff hummed with energy. The worn wrappings on the twisted top fluttered, loosening slightly. Ryuji could feel the magic surround him, enveloping him and changing him. 

Ryuji smirked when the staff and his hand wavered before disappearing completely. The warmth of the magic crept along his entire body until he was completely hidden from any wandering eyes, even his own.

The Phoenix took a deep breath and dove to the roof, crouching behind a clump of raised vents to avoid getting hit by anything.

Ryuji noticed Yukio take out a grenade and subconsciously threw his wings around his body to shield himself. The Phoenix felt kind of stupid when he realized the grenade launched Holy Water everywhere. Ryuji grumbled, glaring at the now soaked Exorcists, the older of which had managed to use the 0.2 seconds of time activating the grenade and having it explode took and somehow managed to draw an  _ entire freaking summoning circle _ ! 

Ryuji’s face twisted, lips parted and pulled in uncertainty while his brows pinched. Amber eyes glanced between the two Exorcists multiple times before shouting, “That can’t be fucking normal!”

The Exorcists froze, pausing their dramatic monologue to turn and look at the vents in confusion. Ryuji gulped, slamming his hand over his mouth harshly as he stayed inhumanly still. This is why his mother and friends from the Nome threatened to duct tape his mouth shut when he used an invisibility spell. It only hides you from the sight of others, not the other senses, and Ryuji was not good at keeping his mouth shut. 

Mr. Neuhaus narrowed his eyes, silently daring anything to jump out at him (or maybe he was just pissed that his way-too-long monologue got interrupted). Slowly, the older of the two Exorcists turned to his opponent, dragging a knife down his arm. Red blood  _ streamed _ onto the chalk circle, Mr. Neuhaus chanted instead of acting at least  _ mildly _ worried about the amount of blood he was losing.

Ryuji grimaced, trying to wipe the tang of iron off his tongue despite not being close to the pool of blood. 

The Phoenix glanced up just in time to see the most disgustingly horrifying Naberius emerge from the circle. Ryuji paled, hand frozen in front of his face where it was swiping the taste of blood from his tongue. 

The demon had stitches everywhere, he looked like the evil twin of Frankenstein. The  _ ugly  _ twin. Very fucking ugly. The demon swung wildly, one hand managed to hit Yukio clear across the roof while the other came for Ryuji.

“Nope!” Ryuji shouted, jumping back and slamming the top of his staff into the roof with a yell, “ **_Āat ȧner_ ** _! _ ” He felt the magic flow through the building beneath him, cracking the cement and lifting huge chunks into the air. 

The Phoenix snarled, not noticing the way Mr. Neuhaus was losing focus and watching boulders lift into the air by seemingly nothing. 

Ryuji cried out, swinging his staff like a bat, sending the boulders towards the demon in a shock wave of power. The Naberius howled as one of the chunks pierced it’s thick hide with a rusted pipe that had gotten stuck between the compressed stones. The stones that, unfortunately, missed the demon sailed across the roof towards the exorcists… and Rin who just burst through the door to the dorms below. 

The same one that wasn’t moving. Ryuji shouted out the first spell that came to mind, “ **_Urṭu_ ** _! _ ” Motionless. Everything froze in place, but it wouldn’t last long, only a few seconds. 

Ryuji didn’t stop to ponder or think, he just launched forward, wings moving to shift him out of the way of the demon and the rocks at a rapid pace, making his way towards Rin.

The boy was frozen mid stumble, his sword clasped tightly in both hands, as if he was about to unsheathe it. Ryuji did the only thing he could think of to get Rin out of the way of getting crushed. 

Ryuji grabbed Rin around the waist, wings snapping to launch them into the air above the frozen fight just in time for the scene to take motion. The boulders moved as if they never stopped, launching across the roof and to the ground below. Ryuji silently prayed to Hathor that anyone had not been down there to get hurt as the force for time to start again caused Ryuji to falter slightly, it didn’t help that Rin was freaking out because of the sudden change in where he was. 

Ryuji yelped when Rin landed an elbow to his stomach, “What’s going on, let go of me!”

“Calm down, dumbass!” Rin froze for a moment, “I’ll explain later, sorry for the situation.”

“W-what. Why can’t I see you? And are you  _ flying _ ?!”

Ryuji pursed his lips in annoyance, Rin was in the middle of a fight and that’s what he was worried about? “Yeah yeah, later. I’m gonna drop you on the demon, alright?”

Rin squeaked, scrambling to grasp onto him for fear of falling. Ryuji faltered when Rin managed to clench his fist around a clump of feathers, shouting, “Stop being a wimp and listen!”

It took longer than Ryuji would have wished for Rin to still, but he took the moment when it came, “Look, I’m going to drop you on the demon, give you an advantage. I’ll attack from behind and try to stop Neuhaus or break the circle.”

Rin blinked, head tilting to look at Ryuji’s face, at least where he thought his face was. The demon was off by a few inches, “You-you’re crazy. But I don’t really have a choice right now. You better not ditch me!”

“Not a chance,” Ryuji murmured, maneuvering so he was directly above the Naberius, a wicked grin splitting his face at the thrill of a coming fight, “Geronimo!” He shouted as he dropped Rin, watching him unsheathe his sword mid-fall, chucking the flaming blue sword at the Naberius. 

Ryuji banked out of the way just as the demon erupted in bright blue flames. Ryuji didn’t have time to stall, but that didn’t stop his heart from jumping slightly.

The Phoenix dove at Mr. Neuhaus. The tamer was trying to launch a grenade of holy water at Rin, who had the same idea as the Phoenix. Rin howled, slamming to the ground as his skin started smoking. Ryuji snarled, ramming into his teacher.

The tamer weezed, gasping out, “What the-”

“Go to Hell,” Ryuji growled ferally, bringing his hand up with sharp claws as he swiped them across the Exorcist’s face. Cutting deep gashes that made the skin flap to the side. Rin was gasping from where he was crouching, trying to stumble to his feet only for the Naberius to grab him, pulling him from the ground and trying to rip him apart. 

Rin was crying out in pain, trying to free himself from the Naberius’ grip and get to the circle. Yukio beat him to it, dragging his foot across the chalk. The Naberius disappeared with a screech, dropping Rin and his sword to the ground harshly. Ryuji ignored the the echoing clatter of Rin’s sword, although it was unusual. 

It took Rin a few moments to stumble to his feet, gripping his sword as he stumbled over to Mr. Neuhaus. Yukio had raised his gun to the area above Mr. Neuhaus with shaking hands. 

Yukio gulped, his face was sheet white. Ryuji probably hadn’t thought that through. He could only imagine what it looked like to see scratches form on the Exorcist from nothing, even if Ryuji only swiped at the Exorcist once, “Rin, what are you doing?!”

Ryuji froze completely, he was smart enough to be holding Mr. Neuhaus down by his throat so he wouldn’t dare move, mainly because Ryuji really didn’t feel like having more blood on his hands in a quite literal sense. 

Rin stammered, stumbling back as he held his sword up defensively as a way to shield him from his brother who was pointing a gun at him, “I’m not-I’m not doing anything!”

“Bullshit! Release him now, you monster!”

Ryuji’s jaw clenched. He slowly leaned down, growling into his teacher’s ear, “Don’t move.”

“Or what?” The exorcist spat angrily. 

Ryuji blinked at the man beneath him, silently wondering how he became an exorcist with being such an idiot. 

The Phoenix grumbled, pressing his claws against the open wound, “Guess.”

The Exorcist froze at the dark tone in Ryuji’s voice. Ryuji had an idea of what came to the exorcist’s mind, which was why he left it to Mr. Neuhaus’ imagination. Sometimes that was the greatest weapon someone could use against others. 

Mr. Neuhaus stayed completely still as Ryuji crawled off him, moving between the twins. He faced Yukio angrily, glaring at the gun now pointed at him as he failed to notice the way Rin shifted his sword so it wouldn’t brush against Ryuji’s back. 

Rin gulped, shaking his head as Yukio slowly moved over to Mr. Neuhaus, hoisting him to his feet as if they hadn’t just been aiming to kill each other. 

The older of the two slapped Yukio’s arm away, taking slow steps over to Rin. Ryuji resisted the urge to growl angrily, only stifling it by putting a hand over his mouth. Rin flinched with each step until Mr. Neuhaus stopped completely, just a few steps away from the demons, although he was only aware of one of them.

Rin growled, swinging his sword so it was close to the teacher’s neck, but not touching, “Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?”

Ryuji positioned himself so that he could easily jump in if anything happened. He had no problem going through with harming either of the Exorcists if they tried anything. The only issue was that the Exorcist in front of him thought one of two things. The first was that he left. The second was Rin had somehow clawed Mr. Neuhaus’ face from a distance. 

Mr. Neuhaus grimaced, pulling at the fresh cuts on his face. The Phoenix couldn’t help the self satisfied smirk that crossed his face at the pain in the Exorcist’s eyes, “What did you do? You were born. And now my family is dead because of your flames.”

Rin took a shaky breath, “But that wasn’t me! That was the bastard who  _ you _ keep claiming is my father!”

Ryuji’s lips parted slightly. So Rin  _ didn’t _ think of Satan as his father. His mother had been right.

“Does it matter? You’re a demon who must be destroyed. I can never forgive Satan or any demon, let alone Satan’s  _ son _ !”

“Stop calling me his son!” Rin screamed desperately, his hands shaking slightly. 

Ryuji slowly turned to face Rin, resting a gentle hand on the demon’s shoulder. The boy startled slightly, his guard lifting for the barest of moments, giving Mr. Neuhaus enough time to act, sending a slew of severed hands to the demons. Ryuji managed to destroy some with his snapping tail, blocking the ones aiming for Rin with the back of his wing. 

Ryuji was immensely thankful for the extra strength in the feathers on the back of his wings, but it didn’t stop the spikes of pain shooting through the feathery appendages. His hands gripped to Rin’s arms, holding him in place so Rin wouldn’t move and risk getting hurt. Rin gasped in surprise, blue eyes blown wide as the tips of Ryuji’s claws dug into his skin accidently. 

Mr. Neuhaus blinked, huffing angrily as he turned, storming to the door in a fit of rage. Rin’s mouth opened and closed multiple times before he managed to force out a low, “Mr. Neuhaus,” The Exorcist in question stalled, glancing over his shoulder, “You can do whatever you want. You can beat me, I’m used to it,” Ryuji stilled at that, noticing the way Rin’s eyes darted to his brother for the barest of seconds, “But you gotta promise me something. You won’t drag innocent people into this!”

The Exorcist glared, turning without a word and disappearing through the door. Rin let out a shaking breath, eyes glancing up at Ryuji before tilting his head to look back over to Yukio from over Ryuji’s shoulder. 

Ryuji’s brows furrowed, how was Rin aware of where he was if he couldn’t see him? Ryuji panicked for a moment, his grip tightening further as he looked down at his feet. The Phoenix let out a thankful sigh of relief when he noticed they were still invisible, but his heart raced when he noticed the way Rin grimaced. 

“Rin,” Ryuji stiffened at the tone in Yukio’s voice, forgetting about Rin’s discomfort for a second to focus on the younger twin. The Phoenix startled badly when he could feel Yukio standing directly behind him, practically breathing down his neck. Ryuji was too scared to breathe, “We need to talk,  _ now _ .”

“Can it wait?” Rin’s voice was small as the boy shrunk in on himself.

“Excuse me?” Yukio sounded pissed, taking a step closer to the demons. 

Rin, in turn, subtly grasped the front of Ryuji’s shirt and took a step back, leading Ryuji with him, “We can talk. But later.”

Ryuji could  _ feel _ the tension between the twins. His wings were puffed defensively, the hairs on his neck raised. What was going on between these two?

Yukio growled, “Fine, I’ll be in the room.”

Ryuji couldn’t help the feeling of relief he felt when Yukio’s steps disappeared down the stairs to the dorms.

Rin was silent for a few minutes before patting Ryuji’s clawed hand, “Hey, Suguro, you can let go.”

Ryuji loosened his grip, or he tried to, “Fuck,” He grumbled, trying with all his force to pry his hands off his classmate.  _ Rā _ -dammit, why now of all times?

Rin raised a concerned brow, “You good?”

Ryuji chuckled nervously, “Um, I can’t let go.”

“Huh?”

“It's kinda a thing with my species,” Rin tilted his head to the side, trying to decipher something. Ryuji swallowed, thickly, “Ever heard of stress gripping?”

Rin hummed, pondering over the Phoenix’s words for a second, “I don’t think so?” Ryuji raises a brow at the way Rin seemed to question it himself.

“Yeah. I’m sorry,” Ryuji could feel his face flush in embarrassment at the situation, shoulders hunching to his ears. He didn’t feel like explaining, but Rin didn’t seem all that bothered. If Ryuji wasn’t mistaken, he seemed relieved. About what, he wasn’t sure. 

Ryuji sighed, hi golden eyes trailed to his hands in shame at the situation, noticing the dots of blood on Rin’s arm, “Holy shit, are you alright?!”

“What do you-?”

“My claws are hurting you!” Ryuji tried harder to pull himself away, feeling the anxiety in his gut worsen when he failed to, only making it harder to pull away which, in turn, made the Phoenix panic further. Ryuji was pulling with all his might, missing the way Rin wore a smile of amusement as he leaned back to keep himself from moving, “Let go you useless… fucking… claws!” Each word was punctuated by a forceful tug and a desperate whine.

Ryuji had expected Rin to get upset at the mess Ryuji had turned the already confusing situation into, not for him to laugh. Which he did. The Phoenix stilled from his pathetic attempt to remove himself from his friend to look at Rin as if he had a sudden fit of  _ Lyssa _ (Lyssa is the Greek goddess of insanity and mad rage, many mythological beings around the world donned the word as a stronger word for insanity, much to the goddess’ dismay and annoyance). Rin seemed so… calm as he sheathed his sword, continuing to giggle like an idiot. Ryuji found it oddly endearing. 

Ryuji watched as Rin’s more demonic features disappeared. He’d been so focused on everything happening that he’d failed to take notice of Rin’s features. His ears had grown long, The same length as Ryuji’s feathered ears. The only difference, besides the feathers, seemed to be that Rin’s ears extended to the sides more than they did up while Ryuji’s sat near flush against his head, brushing against his curled hair. 

Rin’s flames completely disappeared from sight, but his tail remained. 

Ryuji noticed that Rin only had a single stalk of coarse black fur and a tangled tuft at the end. When was the last time he’d brushed his tail?

Rin reached up with his free arm, resting it against Ryuji’s shoulder reassuringly. Or, he tried to. He ended up patting Ryuji’s chest. Something the demon got embarrassed about.

Rin stammered an apology, his tail waving around frantically. The poor boy reached behind him to try and still his appendage. The scene before him was enough to force a bubbling laugh from Ryuji's throat at the hilarity of the situation, his hands retracting slowly from Rin’s arms as he doubled over.

Rin was grumbling, rubbing at his arms as his face flushed up to the tips of his ears. They kind of reminded Ryuji of Pixie ears. Rin was watching Ryuji through his messy bangs keeping strangely quiet for a few moments before speaking sadly, “I guess you really know what I am, even if you had any doubt before.”

Ryuji’s laughter died down slightly, only coming in small snorts, “Yup.”

“What do you mean by that?!” Rin sounded slightly offended at Ryuji’s simple answer, stomping his foot to try and prove a point, “Shouldn’t you be more concerned, or drilling me with questions?”

Ryuji bit his lip to stifle more laughter induced snorts, “You’re a demon, kinda simple. Not much more to ask.”

Rin wilted at that, his tail dipping close to the ground as he took a step back, “So you hate me because of it,” It wasn’t a question, as if Rin truly believed the words coming out of his mouth.

Ryuji wanted to reach out to Rin but pulled his hand back last second, “What makes you think that? Besides,” Ryuji shrugged although Rin couldn’t see it, “I’d be a hypocrite if I did, wouldn’t I?”

Rin took another step back, hugging himself tightly. Ryuji’s words seemed to completely go over his head. He looked so vulnerable and… hopeless. Ryuji took a silent step forward, only for Rin to step back, “I don’t want to hurt you. And you should be scared of me. I’m the  _ son _ of the  _ Devil _ ! I’m probably the most dangerous thing in Assiah right now!”

Ryuji’s brows furrowed in confusion, lips parted slightly. How did Rin know he was walking towards him? The Phoenix could be completely silent when he wanted to, even to another Phoenix or beings with amazing hearing, so Rin hadn’t heard him. 

Something was poking at the back of Ryuji’s mind, something to do with Rin’s constant knowledge of Ryuji’s whereabouts. But, he could worry about that later, because there was another thing. It was as if Rin  _ wanted _ Ryuji to hate him, that the demon was trying to push him away. Ryuji knew the signs because he had been there and sometimes dipped back into those ways. After the incident at the cabin, and then again last year when… 

Ryuji shook his head, dispelling the thoughts. He had to focus on the here and now, which was proving to Rin that he didn’t hate him, even if Rin didn’t understand why just yet, “Yeah, about that. You’re not the most dangerous.”

Ryuji stayed completely silent, allowing Rin to process his words. A shrill, “What?” broke the silence.

Ryuji winced at the sudden high tone but said nothing of it as he pulled at the soft feathers of his ear. Rin’s head had snapped up, taking a hesitant step to the Phoenix as the latter spoke, “Also, how did you know where I was?”

Rin’s head shook, “No, answer my question first!”

“I will when it’s safe.”

“Are you kidding me!” Rin threw his hands up in frustration, all signs of doubt forgotten. Ryuji watched in amusement, waiting for Rin to calm enough to speak again, “You’re really going to make me wait, Feathers?”

“Yes, and where did you get  _ that _ nickname from?”

Rin shrugged, a coy smile playing at his lips, “I felt feathers when we were in the air.”

Ryuji breathed out a small, “Oh,” His wings fluffing slightly at the memory of Rin grabbing a fistful of feathers.

Rin turned to walk away, only for Ryuji to hesitantly grasp his hand to stop him, “You didn't answer my question. How did you know where I was? The entire time, you’ve been acting like you can see me.”

“Well, if you’re worried about that, I can’t see you,” Rin flashed a cocky smile, “You’ll have to wait until we meet again. Think of it as insurance so I know you’ll actually show up.”

Rin cackled as he slipped from Ryuji’s slackened grip, waving a lazy hand over his shoulder, tail waving around as he ducked through the door to the dorms. 

Ryuji blinked a few times, jaw slack before pressing his hands to his face, covering the obvious blush on his face as he tried to deny the fact that he’d been watching the way Rin’s hips swayed in time with his tail, “ _ Ȧnuk āsha sethes _ ,” I’m so very fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! I actually wrote another chapter! I'm so sorry for the long wait. My College classes started so I'm balancing them. 
> 
> I really hope you like this!
> 
> Also, if you have any ideas for a chapter title, plz tell me! I need halp!
> 
> ~Pax


	17. Crumbling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I give you a more in-depth view of Ryuji's friends in Egypt. There's angst, but Ryuji is a dork at the end!
> 
> Also, we get more magic! And ancient Egyptian.....plz kill me....

Ryuji took a few minutes to realize he was alone and had no need to be on the roof. The Phoenix promptly flew off as fast as possible, after fixing the roof with a quick spell, and landing harshly in the field he’d found earlier. His feet throbbed at the faulty landing, one of his ankles rolling. 

His heart pounded frantically as he let his magic ebb away, allowing him to become visible once again. A sudden realization came over him as he realized the full extent of what just happened. Of what he  _ did _ . 

Ryuji’s staff slipped from his fingers, clattering to the ground. He brought a shaking hand up to his face, watching as blood ran down his fingers. 

He did it again. Ryuji swore to himself he’d never do that again.

The Phoenix sunk to his knees, clutching at the swaying grass. He’d been so good about controlling himself in fights so he never used his Phoenix side unless he was training with someone who could handle his strength, like Rie.

Not only that, but he hurt  _ Rin _ . He hurt someone he actually cared about. 

Then the crushing weight of another realization hit him. He’d used magic, in front of Exorcists. Ryuji clutched at his hair desperately, “ _ Ȧqeset kher ȧnuk ȧqer _ ?” What have I done? 

The sudden realization caused something else to spark in his mind, a sudden anxiety settling beneath his skin upon realizing he was sitting in the open. His glamour down, absolutely nothing around to protect his appearance aside from some trees.

Ryuji jumped to his feet, snatching up his staff as he made quick work of frantically setting up the spell. The Phoenix drew a large circle through the dirt surrounding the clearing to base the spell around. The clearing wasn’t huge, only a few meters wide. Just wide enough for the Phoenix to spread his wings comfortably. 

The demon’s tail twitched in agitation as he knocked on the wood of a tree surrounding the clearing. The spell he was going to use was not one that could be put up fast and sloppy. He had to meticulously place clumps of hieroglyphs defining the spell around the area he wanted to be secured. 

With each passing minute of continuous exposure, Ryuji grew more anxious. He dug his claws into each tree after checking it’s strength, tracing the same glyphs over and over until the small clearing was surrounded by them.

The Phoenix slowly check over each one before pressing his hand to scratched bark or the divots in the ground respectively, “ **_Tchebā meṭ_ ** ,” Seal words. 

The spell was tedious, requiring it to be casted on each individual set of hieroglyphs. It wasn’t required for the barrier spell he was going to cast, but it helped. He’d learned the hard way that a barrier spell requiring written hieroglyphs would weaken if even one was altered even slightly. Thus, he used the spell to keep the words from being altered by anything unless he wished it so. 

The Phoenix moved to the center of the clearing, about to cast the spell when the snap of a twig rang through the air. Ryuji froze, head whipping around, glancing around the clearing with wary eyes, looking for anything awry hiding between the trees. A few moments of silence revealed his anxiety playing tricks on him.

Ryuji’s ears twitched towards every sound, feathers ruffling near silently. The Phoenix bit at his lips, chapped from years of biting at them, raising his staff from his side. He held the bottom point of the staff mere centimeters from the ground, allowing his magic to flow from his body to his staff. 

Ryuji breathed deeply, raising his staff up with both hands and slamming it into the ground with a yell, “ **_Karȧ ȧmen ḥenā tcha!_ ** ” Ryuji inhaled sharply at the feeling of magic washing over everything around him in waves, but going no farther than the circle of hieroglyphs. The waves of energy seemed to crash against an invisible force, making it’s way up and over the Phoenix in a protective dome. 

_ That never gets old _ , Ryuji thought as a faint amber tint coated everything outside of the barrier. 

The Phoenix slowly lowered his staff, turning full circle to look over the barrier. With this barrier, anyone on the outside would be unable to hear or see into the inside. 

However, anyone could enter. Ryuji sighed, kneeling as he placed his hands on the ground, “ **_Sȧn_ ** ,”  _ Clay _ . The ground beneath his rough hands warped, turning smooth beneath his hands. 

Ryuji slowly lifted his hands, palms flat towards the warping ground. Slowly, mounds of watery clay lifted from the ground. It was different from clay in Egypt. It was a dirty brown and filled with small rocky debris. 

The Phoenix huffed, pinching his brows in concentration as he took the clay in his hand, rolling it in his hands before working it into the first shape that came to mind. 

Now that the barrier was up and he was safe, he allowed his mind to wander and his body to relax. His wings slouched to the ground, spilling out around him. Ryuji moved his tail, wrapping it around his phone which he’d left on the ground earlier. Without looking, one of the stalks of his tail switched over the screen (thank  _ Rā _ for the sensitive screens someone in Greece’s Nome so the phone would react to fur) subconsciously moving through the apps so he could call his sister (cousin).

Ryuji didn’t bother bringing the phone to his ear, letting it sit on his leg. The phone barely even rang, the silence around Ryuji being filled with laughter and a loud shout, “ _ RYUJI! UĀ NEB, SI RYUJI! _ ” Guys, it’s Ryuji!

Ryuji chuckled at the sounds of stumbling and clambering feet on the ground, relishing in the familiar language dripping from their tongues. However, there were too many voices at once for him to figure out what was being said, “ _ Uā neg,  _ chill out!” Guys... 

“Chill!? _ Entuten tem kheru meṭet er n ḥenā entuten shu uȧ er  _ chill _?! _ ” Rie practically screeched. Ryuji opened his mouth to say something, only to be cut off by Rie exclaiming loudly, “ _ Utchfau, ȧnuk shu pet then tem rekh ḥer _ !” You haven’t said a word and you want me to _chill_ _?!_ Hold up, I wanna see your stupid face!

Ryuji rolled his eyes, watching the screen reveal a group of familiar people. Ryuji smiled, holding the phone up to show his face with a single stalk of his tail.

The Phoenix paused his hands, allowing the lizard-like body of clay to rest in his palms, looking over the faces of his closest friends. 

Rie’s phone was probably propped up somewhere if the way the screen appeared was anything to go by. Rie was in the back, huge orange and brown wings slung around the rest of the group. Just seeing her reminded Ryuji of how much they looked alike. Her chocolate brown hair was styled in an undercut, the top having been spiked up with spray. Some days she didn’t bother and just held it back with a bandana. Her skin was only slightly lighter than Ryuji’s own, littered with pale scars on every visible inch of skin.

Ryuji noticed her golden eyes flick up, giving him no warning as she shouted, “ _ TEN ȦMU THEN ḤU ḤENĀ-EM _ !?” YOU DYED YOUR HAIR WITHOUT ME!?

Ryuji’s eyes widened, only just remembering the deal they’d made, “ _ Oh ḥauatu, _ ” Oh shit.

Rie jumped forward, pushing the others to the side with clawed hands, “ _ Entuten netches ḥauatu _ !” You little shit! Suddenly, a terrifying smile drew across her face, revealing teeth just as sharp and numerous as Ryuji’s, “ _ Ten khemt ȧqueset nefa meti, uā neb _ ?” You know what this means, guys?

The slightly older girl rubbed her hands together, obviously plotting Ryuji’s future. The latter pressed clay-covered hands to his face, groaning in annoyance.

“ _ Sefi, entuten kher nefa ȧu tches _ ,” Babe, you did this to yourself. The Phoenix glared at Jackie half-heartedly. The boy snorted as he crawled back onto his chair from which Rie had pushed him in her excitement, rolling pale green eyes as he stuck out a thick, forked tongue. 

Ryuji returned the gesture. The half Dracaenae boy flipped his hair over his shoulder. The black locks, which brushed just above sandy beige shoulders, had donned green streaks since the last time Ryuji had seen them. His friends were eccentric, each in their own way. It was a nice familiarity, a place where he could just be himself, “ _ Benrȧu beḥen mestcher. _ ” Nice piercings.

Ryuji snorted, “ _ Kuȧ khemt ten p sa sa tefa ḳem benrȧ nefa, Ȧārtu Ḥekau, _ ” The Phoenix gestured to his face as he spoke. I think you’re the only one who actually likes this, Snake Charmer.

Jackie wrinkled his nose, green scales scrunching around his eyes, both boys pretending to ignore Rie’s scheming in the background, “ _ Entuten rekh kuȧ mesṭeṭ tefa ren! _ ” You know I hate that nickname!

Ryuji shrugged, “ _ Eref ȧbu sebeḥ n-ȧ ‘Sefi _ ,’” Then stop calling me ‘Babe.’ 

Jackie gasped, putting a scaled hand to his forehead as he gasped, “ _ Ȧr ḳert seshai entuten? Ȧnuk mertu sep ȧbu sebeḥ n-ȧ ‘Sefi,’ Benrȧḥeti! _ ” How could you? I will never stop calling you ‘Babe,’ Sweetheart!

Ryuji’s mouth opened to answer, only to get distracted by a certain Viking snorting, rolling green eyes, “ _ Then bu nebu men erṭā khennu _ ,” You guys are so annoying.

“ _ Aw, iu’em Sol! Maā shesep entuten mer n!” _ Aw, come’on Sol! Just admit you love us! Azal, who had been watching silently, threw their arms over Solveig’s broad shoulders. 

“ _ Ȧnuk ḳer peshen nesut em pai-ȧ pesṭu, ȧr ten maāu shu ȧu erṭā khennu uȧ? _ ” I have an axe on my back, do you really want to test me? Ryuji snorted as the freckled girl crossed her arms, lips pressed in a thin line. They all knew she’d never draw her ever-present weapon on them, despite her tough-girl act.

Azal blew a stray ginger lock, which had escaped Sol’s braid, from their face. The Viking was sporting a crudely cut side-shave as always. Ryuji was pretty sure she cut the side with her axe, even if it somehow looked good on her. The rest of her bright ginger hair was twisted in a thick, messy braid thrown over her shoulder.

Jackie cooed, slipping from his seat and tapping the double-sided battle axe strapped on Sol’s back, “ _ Entuten enti feṭqu nefa khesef-ā ḥer, ȧrit ten Sefi? _ ” You wouldn’t dare hurt this irresistible face, would you Babe? Ryuji smiled widely, not bothering to hide his row of fangs. Jackie always called them ‘Babe’ or some other pet name. It had taken a while for Solveig to warm up to the pet names, but it was so normal now that it actually calmed Ryuji. 

Rie seemed to only just snap out of her plotting, jumping in and scrambling to jump on Sol’s back. No matter how many times his sister did this, Ryuji was always surprised she didn’t hurt herself on Sol’s axe.

Rie hissed at Jackie playfully. Her wings stayed folded loosely on her back, revealing how calm she was as her tail flicked around, “ _ Pai-ȧ merru, ḥa! _ ” My girlfriend, back off! 

Jackie, in turn, gasped dramatically, draping himself against Sol, “ _ Ȧr ḳert entuten set bu pai-ȧ mȧu nefa?! _ ” How could you betray me like this?!

The poor Viking girl was trapped in the middle of the three, bickering friends. A pierced brow twitched as Sol tried, and failed, to push the other teens off her. Pushing as Jackie only resulted in the boy flicking his split tongue at her and blinking his secondary lids just to annoy her. If Ryuji had been there, he’d have been just as dramatic, if not more. 

The Phoenix sighed sadly, eyes cast to the clay in his hand. He’d been subconsciously squeezing at it, deforming the material from the shape he’d meticulously sculpted it into. Ryuji scrunched his nose, his jaw clenching as he allowed himself to gain tunnel vision on sculpting the shape he’d come up with earlier. He used his claws to carve detailed features to carve into the gritty clay, using the distraction to his advantage.

Ryuji had been so focused on trying to push away the longing to be in Egypt with the people he considered his family, that he’d failed to notice the way the playful bickering and laughter had ceased. Or how his tail waved around, bristles raised in tension.

“ _ Enti! Ȧm theḥeḥ, Ji-Ji! _ ” No! Don’t cry, Ji-Ji! Ryuji started in surprise at Azal’s gentle voice, slowly bringing a hand to his cheek. He hadn’t even realized his frustrations had revealed themselves in the form of tears.

Ryuji blinked down at the lava on the tips of his fingers, swallowing thickly as he fought off more tears. Now that they started, it seemed they didn’t want to stop. Rie moved closer to the camera by leaning over Solveig’s shoulder, her wings flared protectively as Ryuji’s own tucked closer to his body in his vulnerable state, the free stalks of his tail curling around his body to make himself smaller.

Rie humfed, “ _ Mut sper khet kher, ḳert nes enti peḳ. Nes shu ten n meṭu n tches, _ ” Mom said something happened, but she wouldn’t explain. She wanted you to tell us on your own.

Ryuji gnawed at his lip, keeping his eyes downcast. If he’d been in Egypt at this very moment, he’d have curled into any one of them while the others dogpiled on top of him. They always helped each other with anything they could. 

The five of them had known each other since they were little. Ryuji met Solveig when he was particularly young. The Viking was the oldest daughter of The Clan’s (the Norse Nome) chief. Anytime there were meetings between the Nomes they would be in each other’s presence. The two of them had stuck together, being the only children sharing an age. Solveig had pretended to hate him and Rie since the moment they met but slowly warmed up to them.

They’d met Jackie in Greece while investigating the appearance of a dangerous  _ Kharsatȧ _ , or Rogue. The Dracaena had been caught in the crossfire of a fight that broke out when Ryuji had sneezed while sneaking around the Rogue’s hideout, blowing their cover. They ended up seeing Jackie again in Egypt, apparently his father was a magician and promised to teach him magic. 

The boy was always travelling back and forth between his Dracaena mother and Egyptian father. Jackie didn’t seem to mind though, he said they both loved him and that was what mattered.

Then there was Azal. No one knew exactly how, but they were orphaned by their parents in the desert. They all assumed Azal’s parents were Egyptian due to their talent in magic. Thankfully, Azal had been found by a Sphinx and raised by her. Historians never seemed to figure out that Sphinx were very protective of children. Azal’s mother, as that’s what they called the Sphinx, was actually genuinely sweet and caring. They met because Rie had stumbled upon the Sphinx after a particularly bad encounter with a Camazotz, a beast from Aztec culture that looked like a bat on steroids. 

They were dangerous and deadly silent for their size, easily reaching four meters tall when walking on it’s hooked feet as a human. A Camazotz has pure red eyes and is completely blind, using sounds to maneuver through the heavy forests they occupied. Their bites were deadly, both from the poison contained within each needle-point tooth and the strength of their bites. The worst part? They travelled in packs.

Rie had been badly shaken. It was only by chance that she stumbled upon the Sphinx and Azal, but they were all thankful she did or they might never have seen her again. Even the most skilled of fighters couldn’t hold their own when they were unfortunate enough to stumble into a cauldron of the bat-like beasts.

Ryuji gnawed at his lip, tasting the faint tang of iron on his tongue when his fangs dug into the skin a little too hard. He could tell them. Hell, he told them everything, and he’d heard everything. So he took a deep breath and spoke. He was so nervous, he wasn’t sure which of the many languages he knew was being spoken at any one time. Perks of being the Prince, you meet a lot of people with different varieties of language understanding, so you learn a boatload of them.

Occasionally, Ryuji had to pause and swallow thickly. He could feel sobs building in his throat and tears swimming in his eyes. He didn’t bother stopping the tears from flowing, he didn’t feel like burning his eyes (he’d done it before with his tears and it was a bitch to heal).

He could catch glimpses of his friends, all other them looked pained in their own way.  _ Rā, _ Ryuji wished he could hug just one of them at least.

When he was finished telling them everything, when he said everything, he meant  _ everything _ . Every fear and break down, every issue, even the small victories. Like meeting Etsuko and standing up to Mephisto’s pompous ass. He didn’t, however, tell them about Rin. he didn’t feel like telling them about someone who would hate him by the end of tomorrow.

From the other side of the phone, Rie huffed through her nose, sending smoke and small flickers of fire onto Jackie’s head. The Dracaena yelped, darting out of Rie’s line of fire to douse the fire. Ryuji could hear a sink running and relieved sighs coming somewhere out of view of the camera. 

The Phoenix laughed weakly, a small smile gracing his lips. Rie’s eye was ticking, obviously pissed that she wasn’t with Ryuji and couldn’t protect her younger brother, “ _ Nefa sut! _ ” That’s it! Rie screamed, startling the others from their own fits of rage and worry. Except Jackie, he was still off camera. 

Ryuji’s brows pinched. He tried to look confused, which he was, but he was sure he looked more like a kicked puppy with the tears and wobbling chin.

“ _ Shesep then Benbent em! N sper ȧu entuten _ !” Get your Obelisk out! We’re coming to you!

Ryuji tried to urge them against that, only for Azal to shush him, “ _ Un ȧmt ḥer netches sesu! _ ” They said approvingly before the screen went dark. Be there in a sec!

Ryuji blinked a few times, allowing the phone to drop to the floor as he re-focussed his attention on the clay in his hands. He’d managed to finish sculpting the material into the shape of a dragon. It was small, the body was the size of Ryuji’s face, with small wings stretched out and a long tail spiralling around it’s figure. The clay was now glowing slightly, his tears having seeped into the sculpture. 

The Phoenix shrugged it off, not caring too much to worry about it. 

He knew it would take the others a little longer than usual to get to him, courteously of the barrier, so he decided to push aside his feelings long enough to cast the spell to bring the clay to life, turning it into a  _ Shabti _ .

Allowing his magic to flow into the clay, Ryuji murmured a spell he’d cast a thousand times, “ **_Netch Shabti_ ** ,” Guard Shabti. Ryuji watched with satisfaction as the clay became soft and scale-like against his palms. The small figure writhed, shaking off the stillness of a sculpture to become more moveable. 

The tiny dragon stretched, shaking off loose chunks of rock before sitting back on it’s haunches, blinking up at Ryuji expectantly. 

Ryuji would never grow tired of how amazing  _ Shabti _ spells could be, bringing something inanimate to life at the caster’s will. The tiny dragon’s scales, which were slightly uneven from the quickness of his sculpting, were copper brown. Small spines spiked up from the  _ Shabti _ ’s back, continuing all the way down the tail.

The dragon blinked purple eyes up at him, waiting for it’s orders. Ryuji chuckled, “ _ Seshai ten ȧbu ḥenmemet er sper khen nefa tcher ȧn ȧs nuk ȧmmā ent-sen? _ ” Can you prevent anyone from getting within this barrier unless I allow them?

The Dragon mulled this over before scampering up to Ryuji’s shoulder, sniffing at him curiously so it could identify, “ _ Ȧqeset ȧrit kuȧ ren entuten? _ ” What should I name you? Ryuji had been told by the council that it wasn’t proper to name a  _ Shabti  _ designed to do your bidding. Ryuji really didn’t care what they thought, and he always gave each  _ Shabti _ a unique name. (Unless you counted his first  _ Shabti _ . Their cat, Shabby). He’d found that they always had a unique personality when given the chance, so naming them was always the first thing he did after bringing them to life. 

The dragon, who had stopped sniffing, jumped from his shoulder, beating it’s wings around to fly in circles above Ryuji’s head. The circles were cut short when the dragon sneezed out a column of flames, falling the short distance to Ryuji’s head. The dragon flopped down, head positioned so he could look at Ryuji easily. 

Ryuji bit at his lip, chuckling out. The sneezing flames reminded him of a certain dragon from one of his favorite book series, “ _ Norbert nes mer _ ,” Norbert it is. Only to be met with a hiccupped column of flames to his face.

Ryuji closed his eyes, waiting for the flames to subside before opening them again. The newly named Norbert looked at him curiously. Ryuji blew his own column of flames in the dragon’s face, earning himself what could only be described as a smile from the dragon as a pink, forked tongue lolled from Norbert’s mouth.

“Yeah,” Ryuji hummed, scratching at the dragon’s scaled chin, earning a few chirps of appreciation, “ _ Entuten maāt ‘Norbert _ ,’” You’re definitely a ‘Norbert’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji gets an emotional support Shabti-Dragon!


	18. The Past Can’t Be Avoided Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Maniacal laughter* Y'all are gonna kill me!

The calmness Ryuji had felt by casting magic and watching Norbert fly around, chirping playfully, was disrupted by a large vortex of sand appearing above the entire clearing. Ryuji’s head whipped around, finding the small Obelisk with his eyes. The small,  _ glowing _ , Obelisk. 

“Oh my  _ Isis _ , they actually did it,” Ryuji whispered, before realizing they would crash down on top of him when they came through, “ _ Sethes! _ ” Fuck!

Ryuji tried to scramble out of the way, only to be sandwiched between the ground and the pile of his friends. The Phoenix groaned into the grass, lifting his head to spit dirt from his mouth, “ _ Uā neb, ḥennui er ḥer _ !” Guys, get off!

“ _ Entuten mer n, Sefi! _ ” You love us, Babe! Ryuji tried to squirm away from the pile and the pain in his wings.

“ _ Nu khert, kuȧ ȧru. Ḳert ṭenḥui kher BEBET QERSU _ !” Yes, I do. But wings have HOLLOW BONES! Ryuji shouted for emphasis, bucking his hips up to push the others off him. He didn’t put enough force into it, forgetting just how much the four of them weighed, and failed to push them off. 

His wings pulsed at the awkward angle they were pinned at, and the weight pressed against them. Fucking hollow wings. Why?! He didn’t care if it had something to do with physics. Phoenix were fucking  _ magical  _ _deities_! Couldn’t they defy physics? By the gods, why was physics something they continued to have difficulty with?!

Ryuji was momentarily distracted from his inner monologue by an outraged chirp circling above the tangle of bodies (apparently the others were having some difficulty disentangling themselves and getting  _ off _ !) followed by Norbert diving at the unwelcome guests with a vengeance. Ryuji twisted his arm at an odd angle, ignoring the aching stretch of muscles, to put his hand between the dragon and the pile of idiots on top of him.

Norbert collided with his hand with a squeaky thwack, puffs of smoke tumbling from his mouth as he fell to the grassy ground beside the Phoenix’s face. Ryuji watched with amusement as Norbert scrambled to his tiny, clawed feet and started storming in a circle, an endless string of outraged huffs of smoke and chirps following close behind. 

While Ryuji was distracted with watching the  _ Shabti _ , his friends had untangled from the pile and removed themselves from his back, much to the relief of his wings. 

Ryuji scrambled to his knees, lest his friends decide to tackle him to the ground again. He stretched his wings out, glancing at his friends, wings stretching out as far as they could, a comfortable ache in his muscles welcoming him, making a happy hum tumble from his lips. Ryuji ignored the looks of worry from his friends (he considered them more as a family if he was being completely honest). Glancing around the group, Ryuji got lost in his thoughts as emotions pulled at his mind. Being able to see them all, and  _ be _ with them was so nice. It reminded him of nights where they would all crash at one of their homes, being teenagers and playing stupid games before falling asleep in a tangle of limbs on the floor.

The Phoenix startled from his thoughts when Rie leaned close a little too fast, his hand flying out to push her away while the other came up to protect his face. His sister blinked before wincing, “ _ Ȧb, enti khemt ȧu ḥeru ten _ ,” Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. Rie murmured, placing a reassuring hand over his own, a comforting smile gracing her lips, “ _ Set ruṭ qesen, meti _ ?” It’s getting worse, isn’t it?

Ryuji reached out, pulling Rie close so he could hide his face against her shoulder, “ _ Ȧnuk ḳerḳ shaā ȧḥ si. Ȧmt ȧu, enti _ ,” I’ve been avoiding it. So, no. It was so refreshing to be with Rie. She was so familiar, everything from her scent, to the way her wings and tail flared protectively as they created a sort of shelter around Ryuji with her wings. 

There was a soft rustle of grass beside him, he could feel Rie’s feathery ear flick against his hair when it tried to hone in on the sound, just as Ryuji’s did, “ _ Nefa enti senb, Sefi! Entuten khemt nefa! _ ” That ain’t healthy, Babe! You know that! Jackie’s voice was soft, scaled arms wrapping around his torso after wiggling within the protection of Rie’s feathered appendages. 

“ _ Ȧm ḥan-re _ ,” Don’t care. It stops the panic. The last part went unsaid, but they all knew what it was. They had all been through horrible things. Especially Solveig, Rie, and himself due to being part of the family in charge of their respective Nomes. Ryuji hated it, but as the Prince of Egypt, and Rie the Princess, they had duties. Most of which were not things they liked to think about and tried to avoid at all costs.

If he faced his problems, maybe it would be better for him (at least that’s what his therapist said), but he was  _ not _ dealing with them surrounded by exorcists. Ryuji didn’t want to have a panic attack or a flashback in front of anybody. The mess that was yesterday was bad enough as it was. And the nightmares were bone-chillingly terrifying, making Ryuji dread going to bed. I caused many sleepless nights where he would lie in bed and stare at the ceiling, refusing to allow his heavy eyes close. It didn’t entirely stop them, but Konekomaru and Shima were familiar with his nightmares and helped him through them, even if they didn’t know what they were  _ really _ about. But if he freaked out in front of anybody else, there would be a lot of explaining, especially since he wasn’t generally aware of his actions if it was bad enough. 

Soon, the Phoenix was being engulfed in a hug from every side. Azal was hugging him from behind. Despite their lithe form, they were not graceful. It became obvious in the way Azal leaned against Ryuji’s back, being careful of his wings, but not careful enough. 

They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, Ryuji basking in the familiar scents and warmth.  _ Isis  _ and  _ Osiris _ , he’d missed them so much.

“ _ Ȧr then ḳaut er kheru _ -” Do you want to talk-

“ _ Enti _ ,” Ryuji was quick to cut Jackie off, “ _ Ȧnuk ȧm ḳaut er ka ḥenā si _ .” No. I don’t want to think about it.

The silence would have been awkward if Solveig hadn’t yelped and jerked away, pulling her axe from her back as she stood, “That’s  _ it _ you little menace, get back here so you can face your punishment for biting Solveig Sigurdardottir, daughter of Sigurdar the cold and  _ Vali _ , god of vengeance!”

Ryuji didn’t bother hiding his snorting laughter as he watched the Viking scream curses in Norse from the corner of his eye, Rie refusing to let go of her younger brother, though he didn’t mind. 

The viking was chasing Norbert around, from what he could gather from the furious shouting in Norse, it was for biting her. He had completely forgotten he hadn’t granted his friends permission, by the  _ Shabti _ ’s standards, to be allowed within this barrier.

“ _ Norbert! Ent-sen ȧmmā ḥer nefa peni! _ ” Norbert! They’re allowed in here! His voice was muffled against Rie’s shoulder, but he assumed the tiny dragon heard seeing how Norbert paused his terrified shrieks to study the group and add them to his mental list before darting away from a very close call of the Viking demigod’s axe.

Norbert dove at Ryuji, looking terrified (Ryuji could have sworn he saw tears) as he hid within the safety of both pairs of Phoenix wings. Solveig whipped around, having lost sight of Norbert long enough for him to get away. The Viking snarled, turning in every direction, searching for the dragon.

Rie pulled away slightly, studying Ryuji’s face with furrowed brows and amused eyes, “ _ Entuten ren nef ‘Norbert’ _ ?” Did you name him “Norbert?”

The prince huffed, raising a brow as if to say “Obviously.” 

This only served to send Rie into a fit of wheezing laughs, completely removing herself from Ryuji. The boy tried not to wilt at the loss, even if Azal and Jackie were still clinging to him, “ _ Entuten men rekh āāu _ .” You are such a nerd.

“ _ Qeṭ n entuten _ ,” So are you. Ryuji shrugged simply, feeling Jackie shift to get comfortable.

Rie watched her mate/girlfriend, Solveig, fondly, a sad smile falling on her features. Ryuji opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, only for Rie to beat him to it. She looked up at him, eyes swirling with multiple emotions. He saw teasing, sadness, and fear. Ryuji wasn’t sure if it was on his behalf, but it still worried him, “ _ Ȧnuk merit ȧu pai-ȧ senṭ khaui ka ḥerset ȧrtet khenemes _ .” I miss my nightmare-ice cream buddy.

Ryuji blinked multiple times before he chuckled, tilting his head to the ground. That was how his sister was. She would outright say what was bothering her, but she always added something humorous to make it seem less worrisome. Now you know where Ryuji got it from. 

Back at the Nome, because nightmares between the siblings were a regular thing, they started a habit of sitting together somewhere, falling asleep together so they weren’t alone. On really bad nights, which was pretty damn often, they would sit on the kitchen counters and eat ice cream straight from the carton. Sometimes they would stay completely silent, other times they would spend the entire night teasing each other as their mouths went numb from the cold sweet. 

Ryuji hummed, scratching Norbert behind a tiny-curved horn as he nodded, “ _ Pai-ȧ em setcha _ .” Me too

Rie watched him curiously, humming after a few moments, “ _ N hab em sesh kheft entuten nāai sen _ !” We’re going on an adventure when you get back!

Ryuji perked up at the proclamation. Jackie jumped up as well, forked tongue sticking out as it did when he was excited. His green eyes landed on Ryuji, they had the look of a demon. Looking to his side, he noticed Azal and Sol(she finally sat down, even if she was continuously glaring at the fold of feathers Norbert was hiding in) had the same look in his eyes.

Against his will, a spirited grin split his face, “ _ Merrt nefa ḳerḳ ȧrit ent sbaut nekhenu ḥenā ṭeḳas er p hepu? _ ” Will this include being reckless teenagers and running from the law?

“ _ Ȧuna, _ ” Of course. Azal mused, tilting their head to the side, hand pressed to their chest, “ _ Ȧqeset n,  _ Savages _? _ ” What are we, savages?

Ryuji couldn’t hide the snorting laugh from bubbling past his lips. He was always so careful of how much he opened his mouth, lest someone get a view of the deadly fangs situated in the place his molars should be. There had been a few times where the monks at his temple, and his classmates, had seen them when he couldn’t hold back a yawn or wasn’t quick enough to hide a wide smile or a laugh.

Thankfully, people usually brushed it off as weird genetics or a trick of the light. Although, Shima and Neko would tease him about them sometimes, calling him a “Shaggy Werewolf,” or something along those lines. 

Rie smirked, satisfied at getting Ryuji to laugh after the meltdown not half an hour ago. The Phoenix leaned back against her girlfriend, tail waving around happily (although she would always deny it) when her hot-headed Viking girlfriend wrapped her arms around Rie’s waist. Ryuji finally took notice of the black ink covering Solveig’s entire right arm. Swirling rune designs traveled from the back of her hand, all the way up a muscular arm, disappearing beneath ratty blue t-shirt.

Ryuji must have made a note of surprise, considering that Sol spoke up, tone deceptively even. But they all knew she was ecstatic, “ _ Bǫð gøra einn fullr vikingr um vika. Gǫrr van flá marka fyrir skǫmmu. _ ” Her words were fluid, the Viking language sounding every bit as rough as those who used it. The Old Norse language had always sounded a little strange to the Phoenix, but he understood them perfectly. Ritual to become a full Viking was a week ago. Finished the tattoo a few days ago.

Ryuji whistled, “ _ Ȧaiu _ ,” Congrats. He knew each Nome had their own traditions, every single one was a big deal for those who practiced them. Many of the traditions weren’t things historians recorded, rather something people started doing and it simply continued, being overlooked by others. 

As the night slowly ticked by, dark clouds drifting across the bright stars, the conversation drifted around from topic to topic. Ryuji managed to deter Sol anytime she stiffened at the sight of Norbert when the small dragon risked a glance out of the folds of Ryuji’s wing. Although it probably had something to do with Rie sprawled against the ginger’s chest, wings relaxed and resting fully on the ground. 

At some point, Rie brought up the topic of his ears, and the loss of his earbuds. Or maybe it was because Azal pointed out that Emile had blown up her lab again. The Phoenix was a genius in all things technology, but her inventions and experiments tended to explode multiple times before anything worked. Somehow, despite the multitude of fortification spells and the fact that the lab was made of strong metal, she always managed to destroy part of the building at least once a month. 

Ryuji hadn’t even been surprised, rolling golden eyes, wings fluffing as a particularly cold breeze blew across his body.

Rie, who had been trying to speak around Azal, Ryuji, and Jackie’s sarcastic comments about the resident genius-slash-crazy-lady, snapped her fingers in annoyance. The snapping was punctuated with a slam of one of her tail-stalks. Once she was satisfied, everyone’s gaze on her, she explained how Emile had the bright idea to make a different version of the earbuds she’d invented for him, apparently she was making a damn profit off them and wanted to make them better.

Rie said she’d get Emile to help them out and give him a pair of the modified ear devices she had just come up with, due to the loss of his own. Ryuji had wilted in relief at the idea of hindering his hearing again, even if the devices might be prototypes and Ryuji a living test subject.

By the time any of them noticed how late, or early, it was, Ryuji was sure Konekomaru or Shima would catch him when he tried to sneak back into the dorm. It had taken longer than he liked to convince his friends to go back home. It didn’t help that both Jackie and Azal had wormed their ways into his lap by some miracle. 

The Phoenix would be lying if he said he was surprised, the two teens loved clinging onto anyone they could. And, because they hadn’t seen Ryuji in a long time, that person was Ryuji. As Ryuji tried to push the two idiots from his lap, Rie begrudgingly hoisted herself off Sol, stretching out her wings. Due to the sun’s light not hitting the Obelisk, it was rendered useless. A downside of using magic channeled from  _ Rā _ , god of the sun. 

The older Phoenix glanced at the three people she'd have to fly back to Egypt, running her tongue over her sharp fangs in poorly disguised annoyance. 

Rie seemed to be thinking over how to go about the flight, hands moving randomly as she assessed each of their friends, lips moving to form silent words. 

Ryuji took the chance to wrap his sister in another hug, not caring that a calm purring radiated from his throat when Rie clung to him. Rie was smiling gently when they pulled apart, her lips quirked in a lopsided smile before she smacked Ryuji on the head and pulled at a long, feathered ear, “ _ Ȧm ȧrit nebt khepert enti sesh, entuten setheken ȧn shesau peḥui, re-pu ȧnuk merrt sekhtiu ten ȧstheḥt _ !” Don’t do anything stupid, you fucking dumbass, or I’ll hunt you down!

Ryuji hissed, fighting to remove himself from his sister's grip, “ _ Uauu ḳatu n ta Ȧthi ur beḳa, Ȧakebu Nāu!”  _ Threatening the prince is treason, Banshee!

Rie retaliated by grabbing his other ear, tugging hard, “ _ Ȧnuk enti uauu ḳatu Ȧthi. Ȧnuk uauu ḳatu ḥāt-rekhes ȧn sesh sa _ !” I’m not threatening a prince. I’m threatening a self-sacrificing idiot!

Ryuji was saved from his sister’s wrath by Sol grabbing the girl under the arms and hoisting her up and away. Rie’s feet hovered over the grassy ground, legs flailing in an attempt the kick at him. The Phoenix rubbed at his ears, glaring daggers at his sister.  _ Horus, _ the relationships between siblings were confusing as fuck. 

Rie gave one last huff of annoyance, smoke escaping from her mouth and nose, before going limp in Sol’s arms. Sol didn’t risk putting her down though, something the Viking, Jackie, and Azal had agreed on when dealing with the two Phoenix if they were pissed. Apparently, they had such a “Quick reaction switch that they could go from a ray of sunshine to a demon in 0.2 seconds flat.”

Jackie’s words, not his.

Rie’s tail swished around, finding a way to wind around Ryuji’s arm. He knew she was worried about him, no matter how she showed it at the moment. 

The boy sighed gently, locking eyes with his sister. He had to look up slightly because of the hold Solveig had on her, “ _ Nuk ȧb unen tcha. Sef uā uāu ȧqeṭs rā _ .” I’ll be fine. Yesterday was just a bad day.

Rie pressed her lips into a thin line, tail stalks slowly unraveling from his arm, but not before squeezing worriedly. She didn’t look even convinced, and Ryuji couldn’t blame her. He didn’t believe the words that came from his mouth even  _ slightly _ .

* * *

The amount of time it took for their non-winged friends to be situated enough for Rie to take off was honestly impressive. It usually took way longer when both of them were flying. That didn’t mean the taking off and actually flying part wasn’t any less of a spectacle. 

Rie listed side to side for as long as Ryuji could see her in the sky. She was slower from the extra weight, but she still disappeared on the horizon fast, as did the terrified cries of the four air-born people.

Ryuji watched the sky for what felt like hours, the longing of wanting to launch after them squeezing at his heart. His eyes averted to the ground where Norbert was weaving between his legs, chirping in a demanding tone that reminded Ryuji of cats when they wanted to be pet.

The Phoenix sighed, running a hand through his messy waves in a poor attempt to push them from his face as he moved back to the pile of his stuff. Norbert made an outraged sound, something between a snort and a shriek. 

Ryuji smirked, pretending to ignore the way the dragon clambered up his wings and back, draping over his shoulder. The boy stuffed everything strewn across the ground back into the duffle. 

He was close to opening the _Duat_ and stuffing it in his own personal pocket on items before hesitating. Mulling over the thought that came to his mind, Ryuji snatched the wrist holster for a dagger. He knew he had his wand in his boot, and his amulet around his neck (as always), but he wanted something else. Something less… magic-related incase he was in a tight spot. 

Ryuji wrapped the cool leather around his wrist, flicking his wrist just right, watching at the hilt slid into his palm, allowing him to flip the dagger around so the blade was out. Satisfied that it was still in prime condition, Ryuji reloaded the dagger and removed the sheath from his wrist, tucking it into his pocket.. It wouldn’t be hidden with the short sleeves of his nightshirt and he didn’t want to risk anyone seeing it.

The brunette quickly closed his duffle, pulling on the magic of the _Duat_ , opening his own personal pocket as he had done a thousand times before. Ryuji tossed the bag in the mirage-like waves in the air, watching the distorting air disappear along with the bag. 

Satisfied, Ryuji nodded, walking to the edge of the barrier before freezing. He almost forgot to hide his features. Norbert yelped, nearly tumbling from his shoulder when Ryuji’s wings and ears disappeared. The tiny dragon narrowed violet eyes at the Phoenix, hesitantly sniffing at him. 

The poor  _ Shabti _ looked confused with the same scent, but different appearance. Ryuji chuckled, “ _ Ȧm senṭ, Norbert. Ȧnuk mȧ ȧr Ryuji _ .” Don’t worry, Norbert. I’m still Ryuji.

The dragon took little persuading, seeing as he darted across Ryuji’s shoulders, playfully pulling at the uncovered metal in Ryuji’s ears. The feathers of his real ears hid the earrings slightly, but now that they were on full display, Norbert could focus on nothing but the shiny metal. 

Ryuji slowly removed Norbert from his shoulder, careful not to tug too hard because of the way the small dragon was swatting and biting at the piercings curiously.

Once he knew he was out of danger of an earring being pulled from his ear, Ryuji brought Norbert close to his face. The dragon’s legs dangled lazily, tail wagging back and forth, forked tongue lulled out like a dog’s. His wings flapped happily, the tiny dragon tried to nip playfully at Ryuji’s nose. The Phoenix leaned away to save his nose from the sharp teeth within the dragon’s mouth.

“ _ Smet _ ,” Listen. Ryuji tried to keep his voice stern, despite the downright adorable look Norbert was pinning him with, “ _ Ten ḳerḳ thes ḥetep n nefa ḥenā netchet p tcherȧ _ .” You need to stay here and guard the barrier.

Ryuji slowly placed the  _ Shabti _ on a low hanging branch. Norbert watched him curiously as he slowly took a few steps back. The tiny dragon didn’t seem to understand what was happening right away, but he did when Ryuji cautiously turned his back, walking farther away. 

The Phoenix yelped at the sudden cry piercing the air, hands slamming over his sensitive ears. His claws unwillingly unsheathed themselves from his fingers, points digging into his tanned skin ever so slightly. Ryuji winced, the cry sounded so sad and desperate.

Ryuji whipped around, turning to find the source of the noise and gaping when he realized it was Norbert. The dragon looked like a kicked puppy, every limb wilted and honest-to- _ Rā _ tears in his big purple eyes. Ryuji turned away, pressing his palms to his eyes, careful of the claws that had yet to retract, “ _ Enti, ȧb enti kheperu pai-ȧ ȧpu. _ ” Nope, not gonna convince me.

Ryuji made the mistake of glancing at the  _ Shabti _ , who was now flashing him the best “puppy-dog eyes.” The Phoenix wondered where the  _ Shabti _ had learned that in the few hours he’d been alive, but pushed the thought to the back of his mind. 

Norbert started to whimper, feet shuffling. Ryuji could feel his resolve crumbling but continued to hold up, although barely. 

A few seconds later and Ryuji cracked, “ _ Setheken temtu sep! _ ” Fucking fine! Norbert jumped up happily, tail wagging around playfully as he pounced at Ryuji, flopping down on his head. 

“ _ Entuten khemt ten ent-ā sau p tcherȧ, sekha? _ ” You know you’re supposed to watch the barrier, right? Ryuji hoped that would snap the dragon back into it and convince him to go back to the branch he had been perched on, it didn’t. 

Norbert chittered, as if to remind him that he could still protect the barrier without being there. Ryuji knew this. When a  _ Shabti _ was given a job, even when they weren’t at their figurative post, they were still aware of  _ everything _ happening at the place they were supposed to protect or watch. 

Ryuji shook his hand, a nervous whine emanating from his throat. He was worried that someone, namely Shima or Konekomaru, would see the tiny dragon. The Phoenix slowly made his way back to the dorms, palming at the leather-wrapped dagger in his pocket. It stuck out of the deep pockets, but only slightly. 

Despite the fact that his real ears were hidden, the smaller, fleshier, ears twitched whenever a noise sounded a little too close.

At some point, Ryuji’s anxiety got the better of him, forcing him to race to the dorms with Norbert clinging to his hair for dear life, terrified cries emanating from the dragon’s throat. 

Ryuji didn’t pause when he reached the dorms, simply planting a foot on the wall and launching up, clambering up the brick-laden walls to the window of his shared room. He was quick to throw open the window and peak inside… only to freeze dead in his tracks.

Shima was standing in the middle of the room, pink hair sticking up at gravity defying angles. His clothes were rumpled, frozen midway through rubbing his half-lidded eyes. The pinkette slowly lowered his hand from his face, tired brown eyes staring at him.

Shima was staring at him, with a dragon on his head and his tail left untucked, coming in through the  _ window _ in the middle of the night.

Shima was staring at him.

Shima was staring.

_ Shima _ .


	19. Oh Fuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead! Here, have a chapter. I'll get back to you in a century!

Ryuji’s heart was racing, feeling like his chest would explode at any moment. All he could hear was the adrenaline pumping in his ears as he stared at his friend. The two teens were frozen in their place, watching the other with horror. 

Ryuji’s breathing grew more panicked at each passing second, the tightness in his chest growing more painful. His head was spinning, threatening him with the prospect of tipping out the window.

Norbert’s constant growling wasn’t helping the situation either. 

Shima’s eyes glided over his form, which crouched half-way through the window. His eyes had stalled on Norbert, only to lock onto the uncontrollable nervous twitching of his tail.

The pinkette took a small step back, terror clear in his eyes. His hand waved around frantically, pointing at Ryuji in different places, stammering out incomprehensible words. Ryuji’s eyes, which were starting to burn with unshed tears as he watched his friend grow more and more terrified of  _ him _ , snapped to Shima’s hand as it darted to the K’rik propped against the wall.

Ryuji flinched, dangerously close to tipping back out the window, knuckles turning white with the grip he had on the frame, which cracked under his grip. Shima held the weapon aloft, his stance was sloppy and his hands were shaking, “Bo-on,” Shima’s words were thick with sleep and stammering with fear, “what...you do’ng?”

Ryuji said the first thing that came to mind, “You’re-uh-dreaming?”

His mind was not in the right mindset to come up with anything better. Sue him.

Shima blinked, standing again, seeming to mull Ryuji’s words over. His head bobbed side to side, “Yeah… I’m drea-” His words were cut off by a yawn. Ryuji’s jaw slackened, he couldn’t quite believe that actually worked.

Ryuji watched cautiously as the pinkette slouched forward, grip loose on the K’rik. Ryuji managed to see what would happen before it did, launching forward to snatch the metal pole before it clattered to the floor. He loved Shima, but he was easy to convince of things, especially when he was tired. However, if Konekomaru woke up, that would be the end of his secret...and probably his  _ life _ . 

Shima didn’t even flinch at the action, nor when the Phoenix stood, nervous eyes darting over tired ones. The pinkette giggled, knees giving out, forcing Ryuji to balance his friend and the K’rik. 

Ryuji maneuvered so he could prop Shima’s K’rik against the wall as silently as possible, wincing when the loose metal hoops clashed together. Ryuji’s eyes darted to the form of his still sleeping friend, relief washing over him when the smaller teen didn’t so much as stir. 

Shima had slouched against him more, the pinkette nothing but a dead weight in his arms, making it hard to keep him from collapsing to the floor. 

He felt curious fingers brush against his tail. Ryuji sucked in a sharp breath at the sudden touch, pulling Shima away from the appendage. He really needed the teen to go to  _ bed _ ! Or he’d have to deal with Shima slowly coming out of the sleep-induced trance and realizing he was not, in fact, dreaming. 

Ryuji scowled at the pinkette, only for him to list to the side and giggle like the idiot that he was, “Gold eyes,” Shima reached forward, probably in an attempt to poke at his eyes. Ryuji leaned further back, avoiding his friend's hand.

“Alright, up you go,” Ryuji grumbled, picking up Shima in one swift motion, and hoisting him onto the top bunk that was his bed.

Shima continued his giggling for all of two seconds before the comfort of his bed knocked him out completely. The boy practically melted into his mattress, loud snores filling the air.

Ryuji waited a few moments, praying neither of the teens would stir, only for his knees to buckle from relief. His hands were shaking, the claws that had finally retracted itching to come back into view.

Ryuji managed to slide himself back against his own bed. He didn’t feel confident in his ability to stand, let alone walk. Norbert was balancing on the small lamp on Ryuji’s desk, head darting between the Phoenix and the two sleeping teens, purple eyes blinking rapidly. 

The teen sat in silence for several minutes, trying to calm the frantic beating in his chest. Ryuji’s hands cupped his face, tail flicking about freely. He didn’t have enough control over his emotions at the moment to keep his tail beneath his shirt. The best he could hope for was for the appendage to stay relatively hidden within the shadows beneath his bed. 

He was incredibly thankful that nights were at least a little more quiet than the day, giving him one less thing to put high on his “Worry List.”

There was a small tug at Ryuji’s pant leg. The Phoenix jolted, head snapping up, eyes (which were apparently still gold, according to Shima) darting around the dark room frantically. It was only after another tug on his pant leg that Ryuji saw Norbert. 

The  _ Shabti _ had moved from the desk to stand in front of Ryuji while he wasn’t paying attention. The hem of his flannel pajama pants were caught between Norbert’s pointed teeth. The Dragon’s wings and tail were twitching nervously, feeding off of Ryuji’s own emotions. 

Norbert gave another tug, this one was more forceful. It was obvious the  _ Shabti _ was trying to pull him in some way, even if he wasn’t strong enough to do more than shift Ryuji’s leg slightly.

Ryuji snorted out a low chuckle, scooping Norbert up as he stood. The Phoenix shimmied beneath the pile of blankets on his bed (he got  _ really _ cold at night), curling up on his side with a happy hum. 

It took a few moments to realize something was pressing uncomfortably against his leg, and another moment to realize it was his wrist sheath. Ryuji grumbled, fishing the leather-bound dagger from his pocket and dropping it in his school bag, which hung on his chair, haphazardly. 

Ryuji rolled back over, shifting until he was comfortably situated, tail free and hidden beneath the covers. Norbert curled up in the small pocket between Ryuji’s chest, arms, and the pillow. 

Ryuji vaguely registered the Dragon’s sleepy snores, which resulted in small sparks that dissipated as soon as they were created, but he really didn’t care. 

Despite Shima having seen him with his tail, eyes, and a dragon on his head, the fight on the roof with two trained exorcists, and his general anxiety that liked to fuck with him, he felt calm. It might have been because he’d been around his friends from Egypt, especially since he and Rie had created a Pack Bond with them, like the one he had with his mother. Or maybe because Norbert was helping in some  _ Shabti _ -Dragon-y way.

But, whatever the case, he didn’t care. So he allowed his body to melt into the comfortable warmth of his bed, eyes drifting closed.

* * *

Ryuji was standing in the desert, dunes of sand stretching infinitely in every direction. The sun was hanging high in the sky, the sweltering heat creating shimmering waves in the air. The desert wind was hot, yet somehow hollow. An eerie silence blanketed the desert’s dunes. 

There were fires burning, nothing but the impossible heat and the sand to fuel them. Golden eyes watched as the winds swirled around a column of fire, twirling the orange and red flames into the air in a deadly vortex of sand and heat.

Ryuji was panting, scratched leather and shattered, gold painted armor, covering his body in a protective layer. The thicker skin on the soles of his feet burned with the sand that had wormed it’s way into his armor-clad boots.

He was sticky, damp from sweat. Ryuji’s brown curls were plastered against his forehead, the golden circlet propped on his head slipping further down.

Ryuji was walking slowly up a large, sandy dune, golden eyes staring ahead with a steely gaze. There was a heavy weight in his hand, dragging in the sand behind him. He couldn’t feel anything aside from a strange feeling welling within his chest, making it hard to breathe. He wanted to destroy something. He wanted something to break against his wrath. He wanted something to  _ burn _ .

A burnt, red liquid was pooling beneath his feet with each step, mixing with the sand to make a crimson paste. The shifting sand created sounds akin to whimpers behind him, the fine grains blowing into the wind, biting at open wounds along tanned skin.

Ryuji came to the crest of the dune, looking out over the large expanse of sand set out before him. There were dunes rising all around, hiding the space from mortals who may wander too close. 

There were bodies everywhere. Twisted and mangled in horrifying ways. Spartan armor caved against heads and limbs. Other pieces were strewn across the crimson sand, dull red and bright scarlet fabrics waving in the desert wind. 

A few cloaks were colored in rich purple, the symbol of higher ranking officers. Helmets were adorned with red crests, some travelling no farther than the top of the neck, others dipping past the shoulders in length. At least, they would have if any of the bodies were living. 

There was one, single constant. Blood. It was everywhere. Seeping into the sand and fabrics of the armor, dripping off destroyed and intact weapons alike. 

Not a single, blood coated body wore Egyptian armor. Not a single one of this legion had made it close enough to the border to even glimpse an Egyptian outside of Ryuji and his wrath. 

The Phoenix gripped tightly at the weight in his hand, pulling the highest standing praetor into the air by his arm. His purple and gold trimmed cloak was as tattered as his skin, ripped to pieces with Ryuji’s own claws and fangs. 

Decius Ennodia, emperor and highest ranking praetor within Rome. Despite his exterior, he’d been a coward the entire battle, leaving his warriors to fight for him while he hid. Now the man was nothing but a dead weight in his hand. 

Ryuji tossed the corpse into the sand with the rest of the Fifth Legion. He knew he should be more careful with the dead, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Especially when that  _ asshole _ did what he had. It wasn’t Ryuji’s fault that Decius’ warriors followed him blindly, even if they knew the truth. 

Ryuji tilted his head to the side, finding a second purple and gold cloak covering an older girl with dirty blonde hair. Decius’ eldest daughter. She’d helped him in committing many of his crimes, the rest she helped conceal. Ryuji felt nothing at the sight of her arm severed from the rest of her armor-clad body. The limb was still gripping onto a shining shield propped in the sand. 

Ryuji ignored the dull gaze in the girl’s once navy blue eyes and the way her helmet was cracked just as cleanly as her skull. 

Instead, he gazed into the reflective surface of the shield, looking past the ornate depictions of famous heroes and Roman deities to study his reflection. 

The once gleaming gold metal of his armor was cracked and scorched, the surface concealed with endless splatters of blood. His brown curls were thick and tacky, a golden circlet with Uraeus, the rearing cobra, sitting lopsided on his head. The fangs of the cobra seemed to drip with the blood on the tainted crown. 

His tail stalks swished lazily behind him, dispersing crimson flecks across the sand. His wings and ears were matted, orange and golden brown feathers now an endless sea of red. 

Ryuji’s golden eyes were dark, angry and hungry. A crazed smile was plastered across his face, revealing the strings of bloodied flesh caught between rows of dangerously sharp teeth. Ryuji hummed, dismissing his appearance without a care.

His attention turned back to the concave desert that displayed the Spartan corpses. Ryuji brought his clawed hands up. The razor sharp nails had shattered bones stuck beneath them, blood dripping from the sharp points. 

Crazed giggles filled the air as fire swirled from Ryuji’s hand towards the sea of death. It took a single touch of a spark to a red cloak for everything to go up in flames. Ryuji turned his back on the burning bodies, a wide grin never leaving his face.

The strange shifting sound of sand was accompanied by Ryuji’s giggles, “ _E_ _ntuten mer sam n then beḳa_.” You’ll burn for your crimes.

* * *

Ryuji woke in a cold sweat, screaming himself awake. He tried to focus, but it was too loud, too  _ fuzzy _ . He wasn’t registering anything. Every sound was a muddled mess in his head. He felt...nothing. He could have been dying and he wouldn’t have felt a thing. 

Everything was too distant, too numb, too  _ everything _ . 

It was too much. He wasn’t aware of anything he was doing or saying. He couldn’t even think. What was happening? Where was he?

Every sense came back to him in a sudden flood, knocking him down at the shear force, but nothing made  _ sense _ . There was a buzzing in his head, he was swaying, dangerously close to falling. 

When had he stood?

There were figures in front of him. He couldn’t figure out  _ who _ . They bore some semblance of people he knew. But for some fucking reason, he couldn’t figure it out!

He was too…  _ something _ . 

It was too hot.

No, too cold.

Too quiet.

Not quiet enough. 

His mouth was dry, and the world was shaking. 

There wasn’t enough air in his lungs.

Or, maybe there was too much?

He wanted to grab at  _ something _ . He wanted to  _ run _ , to  _ hide _ . He wanted to fight and get _ out. Out, out, OUT! _

He needed to get  _ away _ . Away from the shaking, the noise, the  _ hands on his skin _ .

Ryuji tried to pull away, but the hands on his cheeks held fast, refusing to let him escape. 

“...down. Bon, please breathe. You need to breathe.”

Ryuji couldn’t, there was no way.

He needed to get away, put as much distance between himself and anyone else as possible.

He could feel his head being turned to look at the face of Konekomaru. The boy’s brown eyes were steady, “Where are you?”

His first thought was the desert. The scorching sun and unrelenting sands, that would swallow you up if you weren’t careful, surrounding him.

But, that wasn’t right. There was a hardness against his bare feet, and a chill in the air, “Do-dorm,” Ryuji managed to stammer out, despite having no air to do so.

Konekomaru nodded encouragingly, “Who are you?”

The world seemed to quake more. Then he realized it was  _ him _ . He was shaking like a palm frond in a sand storm, breaths ragged and desperate. His hands slowly raised, desperately clinging to Konekomaru’s smaller hands with an iron-like grip that made the smaller boy wince slightly, “My name is Sak-” He quickly shook his head, he had to remember  _ his  _ name. Not his royal name, “My name is Ryuji Suguro.”

“Good,” Konekomaru nodded, relief present in every inch of his figure. He tried to remove his hands from Ryuji’s face, only to wince when Ryuji’s hold tightened, unrelenting.

Shima came up from the side, gently placing his hand on Ryuji’s shoulder, “Which nightmare was it?”

His friends were familiar with him having nightmares, but they didn’t know what they were  _ really _ about. They couldn’t. Most of his nightmares were flashbacks of things he couldn’t tell them, things that couldn’t be explained away.

So, he learned to sum them up in simple words, giving his friends the simplest explanation possible. Ryuji took a shaky breath, voice cracking as he spoke, “Monster, there was a monster.”

He could see their concerned looks, and he knew why. He’d only had this particular nightmare six times, and he could remember each one. The first four times were in the Nome, and he’d woken up  _ feral _ after the first one. The others gained reactions just like this one. Ryuji waking up unaware of everything and freaking out. 

The first one at the temple had been a nightmare, both sleeping and waking up. He’d screamed so loud that half of the residents came running. He was lucky Yaozo, Uwabami, and his father were the first to reach him or his secret would have been outed. 

The last one was when he’d fallen asleep at a late night study session with Shima and Konekomaru. He was pretty sure he’d freaked them out  _ badly _ .

Ryuji had been trying so hard to suppress the memories of that entire week, something that many of the people involved were doing as well. And he’d been doing so good, pushing those memories far  _ far _ away for nearly a year, refusing to even think about what had happened. He had succeeded in doing so for the past four months.

It was clear something had snapped.

Maybe it was his panic attack yesterday in school?

Maybe it was Rin being the son of Satan?

Or Rin finding out he wasn’t normal?

It could be Mephisto.

Or…

There was a whole list of possibilities, but it didn’t matter now because the chains around those memories were coming loss.

Ryuji wondered just how long it would take before others became suspicious. Just the thought made Ryuji’s tail twitch-

Wait…

_ Where was his tail _ ?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys got more background into Ryuji's past and what else has been bothering him. Hope it's to your satisfaction!
> 
> And yes, I am aware this is kinda crack. Sue me


	20. Disappear

Ryuji tried to feel the muscle from his lower back, the soft fur rubbing against the scarred skin of his torso.

It wasn’t there.

Ryuji squeezed Konekomaru’s hand tighter. The boy squeaked, a pained look crossing his features. 

The Phoenix could feel his breaths growing shallow again, he needed to get somewhere  _ away _ , anywhere but here, and figure out where the  _ fuck _ his tail was. 

By some miracle of  _ Shai _ , he managed to wrench his hands from Konekomaru’s. The boy seemed relieved to have his hands free of Ryuji’s death grip.

Konekomaru opened his mouth in an attempt to speak, only for Ryuji to bolt for the bathroom and slam the door roughly. He could hear his friends shouting through the door as he slouched over the sink, pressing his head to the cool porcelain. 

He managed to croak out weakly, “I need a few minutes,” As he tried not to hyperventilate at the loss of his tail. He’d never,  _ ever _ been without it. Not even when he was glamoured. Having his tail stalks twisted around his torso had become a comfort, a gentle, ever present reminder that he was still himself, that this body was  _ his _ , even if he didn’t have his wings or ears. 

He wanted his tail back  _ Rā _ dammit!

The door pulsed from his friends knocking violently, “Bon, what the hell?!”

“I just-” The words were thick as syrup in his throat, he couldn’t help but choke on his emotions, “I need some time alone,” He hesitantly glanced towards the door, well aware his friends couldn’t see him, but just facing their direction felt difficult, “Please.”

He could hear Konekomaru pause at his plea before sighing heavily, “We’ll wait for you, okay?”

Ryuji didn’t bother telling them that was a bad idea and would mean they wouldn’t get any sleep either, knowing they would take no sleep over leaving him alone like this. 

The Phoenix swallowed down the choking feeling in his throat, only for it to rise back up in the form of bile. Ryuji doubled over, hurling into the sink. It was clear  _ that _ memory had finally caught up with his stomach. 

He could still taste the blood in the air, still feel the phantom pains of gashes across his skin as scorching sand bit at the fresh wounds. Ryuji scratched at his scarred skin, sharp nails drawing spots of blood as he tried to get his skin to stop crawling and  _ feeling _ . 

A whine escaped his lips, frustrated tears burning tracks down his cheeks. Why now, why did he have to remember all those horrible things he did? So many people were dead because of him, so many  _ innocent _ people. 

Ryuji risked a glance in the mirror, flinching back when he saw his reflection. His hair was ascue, as if he’d been pulling at it. Black streaks were burned into the skin of his cheeks, healing slightly before being burned again when more tears spilled. There was bile on his lips, tasting sour on his tongue.

The Phoenix moved a hand to nervously play with a stalk on his tail, a nervous habit he’d had for as long as he could remember, only to pass through nothing but air.

That seemed to be the breaking point, a broken sob escaped his lips, knees buckling as he collapsed to the floor. The memories of that month flooded his mind. His people coming back broken, bloody, and traumatized (if they weren’t dead) because Decius Ennodia thought he could do what he wanted.

He remembered going to the Ennodia’s palace, which housed the man’s entire family, in an attempt to strike a deal and protect his people. He’d made the mistake of going alone. Even worse,  _ unarmed _ .

The second he’d stepped into the council room he’d been seized and locked away for thirteen days. He’d been tortured for fun, sliced up and held in a soundproof cell miles underground.

The only one to show him any kindness was Decius’ youngest daughter, Sornatia. She was the only one in that entire family with a good heart. She would sneak him food and kept him company, telling him stories to make him feel better.

She had found a way to help him escape and she’d been punished for it. She was only thirteen, but her father had ordered her to receive sixty-seven lashes with a whip for treason, each lash representing a person she helped escape. Ryuji was forever thankful she had survived and became the praetor after the... war.

The battles had only lasted a week, but there had been so much blood. The sands were still tainted the slightest bit red, even after months of relentless winds and deadly heat. 

Ryuji remembered the day the death toll was finally counted. He’d gotten out of detainment, along with multiple other Phoenix after going Feral during the battles, and was immediately shown just how many people had died at his hands.

34,435 of the one million Spartan soldiers died by his hands.

34,426 had been innocent and following orders.

The other nine? Well, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy watching them break under the force of his attacks. 

Decius Ennodia had captured hundreds of his people. He’d tortured them, enslaved them, raped them, broke them, and then he had the audacity to claim he was following the wishes of the gods. The very gods Ryuji talked to annually, at the very least, during the Council of the Gods that every religion attended. 

Tettidia Vergilia and Canus Vespillo, Decius’ most trusted, and highest ranked lieutenants. They had taken part in many of his actions and helped Decius capture his people while Manius and Novius had cried wolf, lurring the  _ Medjay _ away from the Nome.

Then there were his four oldest children. Mallia Ennodia, the oldest of the five siblings. She had helped her father cover up every filthy deed done. Then there was Nigio, he was the second oldest and heir to the throne in Rome. At least, he had been until Ryuji tore out his throat with his teeth. He hadn’t taken part in Decius’ schemes, but he had been the one to whip Nati after she helped Ryuji escape. 

His own sister, and Nigio had done it with a sick smile on his face.

Then, the biggest problem. Dexia and Attia. The sisters had broadcast them torturing an innocent girl to all the Nomes.

Ryuji felt no guilt from killing them. He did, however, regret the deaths of the innocent warriors everyday. The guilt weighed him down like Atlas holding the sky.

The Phoenix brought his knees to his chest, burying his head between them. That entire month had been a nightmare, one anyone involved in was constantly trying to forget. He was no better than the people he’d been fighting against. He was a  _ monster _ .

Ryuji had been trying to convince himself otherwise ever since the cabin incident. He’d done good with ignoring the occasional times he’d leave someone in critical condition when doing his duties as a  _ Medjay _ . But the war? That was the tipping point. The dam constructed of pure hope that maybe, just  _ maybe _ , he wasn’t a monster, came crashing down. That realization flooded him when he woke up in detainment four days after the battle that left only a handful of Spartan soldiers alive. He’d been sitting in a padded, soundproof room while his arms, wings, and tail were strapped to his body so he didn’t hurt himself or anyone else. 

That was standard procedure when a Phoenix went Feral and didn’t calm down. Almost every Phoenix had been detained for some time after the war.

However, the still quiet of that room had let his thoughts scream for his attention, and he couldn’t ignore them. He was forced to remember every person he’d killed, every person that had been on the receiving side of his  _ Medjay _ duties. As if he didn’t already know what he’d done. And he hadn’t even been given the death toll from the battle at that time.

Ryuji was left broken after that. He fought with his mother when he was let out. Both Rie and he had been betrayed by their mother. They loved her dearly, but she’d  _ promised _ not to let them kill so many, to stop them from going Feral. But she’d let that happen on top of allowing her fourteen-year-old children fight in a war adults had not recovered from. 

Silent tears streamed down his cheeks as he remembered the day he couldn’t take it anymore and cast the  _ Sekhem Sekha  _ spell. It erased the memories of someone, but it was forbidden without Council approval due to it’s uncontrollable nature. It was easily reversible, but it had thrown his mother off when he’d walked down stairs and didn’t remember his name, among  _ many _ other things. 

Ryuji didn’t care if his mother could hear him, or that Konekomaru and Shima were sitting on the other side of the door. He wailed pitifully as each memory demanded his attention. Every horrible thing he’d done that only further proved how monstrous he really was. Hiccupping sobs shaking his already trembling body. Burning tears collided with the floor, smoke rising from the burning holes in the tiles.

He didn’t care. He needed to cry, to let everything out. He would much prefer it if someone was here with him, someone who understood what he’d gone through. Maybe Rie. There were countless times when they would curl up together from the fear of nightmares. Or, maybe Solveig. The Vikings were notorious for battling when they didn’t agree, especially with some of their deities. She was always so understanding, listening and giving advice for dealing with flashbacks or things of the sort. Even if Jackie and Azal hadn’t fought in the war, neither of them had been cleared to fight at the time, they were always open to hugging and listening.

Ryuji didn’t want to be alone anymore. 

Maybe he could tell Mephisto to go fuck himself and just run away. He’d hide in Egypt, and finally be somewhere he wasn’t so terrified. He could walk around without the constant dread of being found out weighing him down. He could escape the duties of being the Bocchan of the temple, not that he didn’t like it, it was just a lot when combined with being the Prince of the Nome, having duties as a  _ Medjay _ , plus being part of the godly  _ and _ royal council that included the hundreds of different Nomes and religions.

For one horrible moment, he didn’t care about leaving Konekomaru and Shima. He didn’t care if Rin knew his secret. He knew it would hurt them, but he just wanted to be safe. But the thought of leaving them created a bitter taste in his mouth, overpowering the taste of bile. He couldn't do that to them. Shima and Konekomaru had always been there for him, even when they didn’t know  _ why _ he needed them there. Then there was Rin, a complete mystery. Ryuji couldn’t quite place why he didn’t like the thought of leaving the demon here. Maybe he didn’t fully trust him?

Despite the guilt of even  _ thinking _ about leaving his friends, Ryuji wanted to go back home. He wanted to go to high school in the Nome and take those required classes that helped Phoenix and Magicians safely learn their powers. He’d taken those classes since grade school, but he really missed them. 

He missed the huge arena used to practice abilities. Where they raced around in the air, pushing themselves to go faster just to feel the wind whipping through their feathers. 

Ryuji missed the Duels they had every Friday, testing their magical abilities in a traditional and competitive way. 

Where he could do what he wanted without being judged.

The Phoenix wanted to be surrounded by people like him. Where he wasn’t treated differently for being the heir, like he was in the temple. Where he was just a teenager, where he could  _ act _ like one. Be stupid and reckless, go to the teen club, get drunk, and sing as loud as he wanted as he danced like nobody was watching.

Where there weren’t any expectations outside of the council rooms. Where there was a festival every year, celebrating their life. Dancing and singing around a fire, adorned in traditional Egyptian garments.

Where being something not human was alright.

As the minutes ticked by, Ryuji’s sobs became nothing more than soft sniffles, what little tears he had left burning slow trails down his marred cheeks.

A soft chirp was what pulled him from sinking too far into the longing. The Phoenix slowly looked up, devoid of any energy to be startled and defensive, finding Norbert sitting across from him. The dragon wore a guilty look, paws awkwardly shuffling against the tiles as violet eyes glanced anywhere but the Phoenix.

Hesitantly, Norbert crawled forward. Ryuji watched him with a dull gaze, eyes (which had started to burn from the amount of tears) slowly following the dragon as he circled around Ryuji, disappearing behind the Phoenix.

Ryuji made to turn, albeit slowly, only for him to pause in confusion when cool scales pressed against his back. The cool sensation was soon replaced by a spike of pain and his tail reappearing. Norbert darted around Ryuji, trying to avoid the newly appearing appendage.

The dragon still got whacked, skittering across the now burned tiles, an exasperated huff escaped his small body as he resumed his position in front of Ryuji, complete with guilty eyes. His wings dipped to the ground, the  _ Shabti’s _ small form completely radiating guilt.

Ryuji ignored Norbert for the moment. Instead, he snatched up his soft tail and hugged the stalks to his chest. A bushy tuft flicked against his neck, some of the tension in his body beginning to ebb away as one of the issues that caused his panic was resolved. 

The Phoenix sat quietly for a few long minutes, relishing in the calm brought back by the simplicity of his tail being back. 

Still gripping his tail lightly, Ryuji shifted so he could crouch low, getting on Norbert’s eye level, “ _ Ȧr ḳert entuten ȧrit nefa? _ ” How did you do that? He whispered quietly, waiting patiently for Norbert to answer in his own way.

The dragon did not disappoint, straining for a moment before radiating a soft, golden glow. Ryuji blinked a few times. That was a Magic Aura. Most magicians could conceal theirs with a decently casted glamour, but it was always there, however faint and difficult to see. 

Norbert seemed to wilt, shrinking in on himself. Ryuji pursed his lips, releasing his tail to gently scratch Norbert behind a waved horn. The  _ Shabti _ immediately brightened at the contact, purring loudly as he rubbed against Ryuji’s hand eagerly, demanding more attention.

Ryuji chuckled, watching the tiny dragon wag his tail fervently. The Phoenix didn’t remember infusing magic within the  _ Shabti _ outside of the necessary magic to give sculpted clay life, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t paid attention because of the distress he’d been in at the time. Besides, it wasn’t a big deal.

Although… Ryuji removed his hand from Norbert, pointing at him sternly, “ _ Ȧm  _ ḥer nebt sesu _ ḥetch pai-ȧ ḥāu thes rer _ ,” Don’t  _ ever _ steal my tail again. Somehow, Norbert seemed to pale, hesitantly glancing between Ryuji’s hand and face, silently asking for more scratches. Ryuji rolled his eyes and went back to scratching behind Norbert’s horn.

“ _ Ȧqeset erṭāt ten shesep sut? _ ” What made you take it? Ryuji was asking himself mostly, but the  _ Shabti _ answered. He patted Ryuji’s arm a few times before bounding to the door. Ryuji raised a brow, “ _ Peti nefa? _ ” What does that mean?

Norbert snorted, tiny flames spewing from his nose in frustration. 

Ryuji watched with amusement as Norbert continued to motion towards random things before eventually giving up and acting it out, explaining that he’d hidden Ryuji’s tail because Ryuji didn’t seem to like Shima (Norbert put a pink loofa on his head to describe the pinkette) seeing it. So, apparently when Ryuji startled awake from the nightmare and wasn’t aware of everything, Norbert hid it before his friends could see the tail.

Ryuji chuckled, scooping the Dragon up, lips lifting in a tired smile, “ _ Neter ṭua _ .” Thank you. 

Norbert seemed pleased and scampered up Ryuji’s arm, coiling within the folds of Ryuji’s shirt and somehow managing to remain hidden.

Slowly, Ryuji staggered to his feet, begrudgingly stuffing his tail beneath his shirt as he made his way out of the bathroom. Both teens within the room jumped to attention. Konekomaru looked as if he’d been pacing while Shima was simply sitting beside the bathroom door. They both rushed to their friend, grabbing at his arms to keep him from escaping again.

“Ryuji,” Konekomaru was scowling up at him. The Phoenix tried to hide the wince caused from his friend’s demanding tone and use of his given name, “You need to tell us what’s going on, right now!”

Shima nodded vigorously, “Yeah man, you’ve been like this for almost a year! What happened? Did you run into a demon?!”

Ryuji waited for Shima to realize that wasn’t possible with their standards. The pinkette took longer than expected to realize that, shaking his head and murmuring to himself. 

Ryuji chuckled gently, moving to extract his arms from his friends, only for them to strengthen their grips, “You are not leaving until you tell us,” Konekomaru’s eyes were dark and dangerous and, for the barest of moments, he looked like one of the guards who had been in charge of his “sessions” while he was trapped in Rome. 

His breath hitched, involuntarily stepping away, “Let go of me,” His voice was shaky, breaths coming harshly.

Konekomaru’s eyes widened, his grip loosening while Shima completely let go, seeming to understand he crossed a boundary, “Bon, I-”

Ryuji cut Konekomaru off, grabbing his friend’s wrist and prying his hand from his arm. Deep down, he knew their hearts were in the right place. But now was  _ not _ the time, “Just leave me alone,” Ryuji ignored the guilty look on Konekomaru’s face and shuffled to his bed.

Both monks looked like they wanted to say something. Ryuji made sure they didn’t by flopping onto his side, facing away from them.

There was blissful silence for a long time, at least as silent as a Phoenix could get, before the creak of wood from his friends crawling back into their respective beds. Ryuji sighed in relief as they remained silent, pretending he didn’t notice the uncomfortable feeling of their eyes watching him carefully. 

Slowly, Ryuji pulled Norbert from the folds of his shirt, clutching the small dragon to his chest as a way to seek some form of comfort. He couldn’t very well wrap his wings around his body, so he settled for this.

Norbert chirped happily and curled up in the small nook Ryuji and the mattress created. Ryuji gently stroked the  _ Shabti _ , chuckling when Norbert rolled onto his back, demanding belly rubs. Ryuji obliged without a thought.

As the quiet of the room was slowly filled with the even breathing and way-too-happy sighs of Shima, Ryuji brought his free hand up to his face. 

There was a sudden flash of bloodied flesh painting the tanned flesh, dangerously sharp claws flexed and crimson, before disappearing in a matter of seconds as if it was never there to begin with. Ryuji took an unsteady breath, unsheathing his claws to ensure they were not bloodied.

The Phoenix watched as the keratin grew thicker, so it wouldn’t shatter when used, and sharper. The nails became purely black, mimicking the appearance of a falcon’s talons, or a cat’s claws. 

Ryuji inspected them carefully, relief flooding his body when he made sure they weren’t as long as they grew when a Phoenix went Feral, or caked in crimson flesh. Deep down, he knew he could file the points down and make them safer. But, even deeper down, he knew that wasn’t only dangerous by leaving him vulnerable, but a losing battle as he knew they would grow back into sharp points in a matter of hours. 

Ryuji took a deep breath, naively hoping that tomorrow would be at least a  _ little _ better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Medjay - A legion of elite warriors in Ancient Egypt, ranked higher in skill than the rest of the army
> 
> Also....Don't kill me


	21. Hope in a Sea of Mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This bitch trash. *continues to give it to you* yEET!

Ryuji was so fucking  _ stupid _ . The moment he stepped into the school, the overwhelming chatter of gossip flooded his ears. The gossip of an  _ investigation _ . The Phoenix hadn’t even needed to ask anyone for details because it was all anyone was talking about. 

A teacher had found blood in a boy’s bathroom. The bathroom Ryuji had his break down in. The bathroom contained  _ his _ blood.  _ Fuck _ .

Ryuji took a shaky breath, hoping that whoever was investigating didn’t link the blood to him. He could only hope or maybe destroy the evidence somehow. It wouldn’t be his first time doing so. 

The Phoenix managed to make it all the way to lunch without freaking out about the voices he could hear talking about evidence that would bring him to the center of attention. Ryuji didn’t even have the chance to grab a Yakisoba sandwich before Konekomaru and Shima had him by the arms and were hauling him to a less-crowded part of the school. 

Ryuji was pulled into an empty classroom and pushed into a random seat. The Phoenix opened his mouth to snap at his friends, only for his mouth to shut when he noticed the broken look in their eyes, “ _ Peti _ ?”

Everything was silent, Ryuji’s leg bounced with nerves, his body refusing to sit still under the piercing gaze of his friends. Ryuji squirmed when the silence persisted, worrying him even further, “Guys, say something.”

“What is there to say?” Ryuji’s head snapped up at the sound of Konekomaru’s voice. He sounded so broken and Ryuji could have sworn there were tears in his eyes. Ryuji was left speechless, unsure what he should say. Thankfully, Konekomaru continued, “You disappeared for most of yesterday, and now they found a bathroom bloodied and practically destroyed? Tell us the truth!”

Ryuji’s lips parted, a sudden thought crossing his mind. What if he did tell them? What if he told them the truth of  _ everything _ . That he wasn’t human, what he’d  _ done _ and been involved in. Ryuji quickly pushed that thought to the far,  _ far _ , reaches of his mind, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Shima flinched, eyes wide in surprise. He had remained silent the entire time, silently watching. This happened a lot when one of them had been hiding something since Konekomaru was better at pulling the truth from them. The pinkette opened his mouth in surprise, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

Ryuji grit his teeth. He could feel heat burning the back of his eyes, threatening tears. The Phoenix swallowed, knowing that if they saw his tears, everything would be over. He was always careful not to cry in front of them, although there were times we just wanted to accept their hugs. Ryuji choked back the lump in his throat, speaking with an even voice, “It means there are things I don’t wanna tell you.”

“If you don’t want to tell us, that’s fine!” Konekomaru had gotten closer, brown eyes hard as steel. Ryuji couldn’t help but look away, “But, look me in the eyes and tell me that isn’t your blood in the bathroom!”

Ryuji’s breath stilled, sharp teeth gnawing at his lip. He couldn’t lie to them. Well, he could, but he didn’t want to, “So what if it is?” 

Ryuji’s voice was small, eyes looking anywhere but his friends. Shima gasped, but Konekomaru stayed where he was, “We’ve seen your scars,” The boy’s voice was flat, devoid of any emotion in an attempt to keep tears in his watery eyes. 

Ryuji forgot how to breathe, choking on air when he heard what Konekomaru said. Panic pooled in his gut, squeezing his heart. He tried to open his mouth and speak, but it was like he forgot how to do that too. 

They saw his scars? There were  _ so many _ , most of which were from his  _ Medjay _ duties or being stupid in general. What would they think of them? How could he explain the jagged scar that was  _ way too close _ to his Carotid Artery because he wasn’t looking where he was flying. Or the numerous bullet and sword slash-induced scars? 

Only a minority of his scars were from him hurting himself on purpose. There was no way they only saw those ones.

Shima spoke up for the first time, pulling a chair closer to the Phoenix so the pinkette could sit, “Bon, we’ve seen them. Some are obviously accidental and look like, I don’t know, bullet wounds or claw marks.”

“But, there are ones that are too clean to be from an accident,” Konekomaru finished Shima’s sentence with some difficulty. His voice was thick and he was obviously trying not to cry. Ryuji gulped, remaining silent until he was sure Konekomaru had nothing left to say, “You don’t have to explain to us but don’t  _ lie _ !”

Ryuji squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back the burning tears. His head bowed in an attempt to hide his face, “ _ Anuk mer ȧb _ ,” I’m sorry. It was all he could say, but all the only answers the teens needed. 

Konekomaru launched forward, bursting into tears as he hugged Ryuji tightly, “Why didn’t you tell us!”

Ryuji kept his hands in his lap, body stiff as Shima joined the hug. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, it was just that Koneomaru’s arms were around his torso. The same damn place his tail was. 

The Phoenix slowly pulled away, hoping it would convince his friends to let him go. It didn’t. 

Needless to say, it took a long time for his friends to stop crying, which he completely understood, his mother to stop screaming from Kyoto (She’d been keeping an ear to him since his nightmare/panic attack last night), and Ryuji himself to calm down enough to convince himself his friends didn’t notice his tail.

By the time Konekomaru had stopped crying, they had missed lunch. Shima seemed at least somewhat sorry about it, while Konekomaru didn’t care because he was worried. 

The three of them were slowly making their way towards their next class, which they were late to. Konekomaru was gripping his wrist like he was scared Ryuji would disappear any moment. The monk had ordered Ryuji to show them his wrists to make sure nothing was badly injured. It took a lot of explaining when they noticed the marks were simply red scars with some scabs remaining, despite them being inflicted yesterday. 

Their English teacher had been less than amused when the three of them snuck into class in the middle of her lecture, but Ryuji really couldn’t care less because he was now focussed on trying to silently calm both his mother  _ and _ Etsuko. The latter of which had joined in because it was apparently her lunch break and there was nobody in the salon but her. 

Ryuji grimaced, glaring out the window in hopes the two women would feel his glare. His mother, a pro at reading Ryuji’s moods when he wasn’t hiding them, snapped, “ _ Ȧm petrȧ tau er n-ȧ, Ḥunen _ !” Don’t glare at me, Young Man!

The Phoenix smirked into his hand, not caring in the slightest that the teacher was watching him with narrowed eyes as he continued to ignore her lecture. 

By the end of class, the annoyance rolling off his teacher was clear as day. So it came as no surprise to Ryuji when she called him to her desk after class. Ryuji shooed his friends off when they tried to join him. Neither looked pleased after just discovering Ryuji’s... _ habits _ , but scampered from the room. 

Ryuji snorted, a small smile decorating his features when they remained behind the door, trying to listen. A cough came from the front of the room, his teacher’s face betraying just how irritated she was. 

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Ryuji made his way to the front, waiting for his teacher to speak, “Suguro, I do not appreciate your attitude in class.” 

Ryuji arched a brow, “I’m sorry?”

“First you completely skip my class yesterday, then you don’t pay attention today. This behavior is unacceptable.”

Ryuji ran a tongue over his sharp teeth. Seriously? He didn’t act normal for two fucking days and this lady thought he was doing it to, what, be rebellious? “I’m sorry, Ma’am. But, if you consulted with every other teacher, I was indisposed yesterday. As for today, I deeply apologize for my lack of attention.”

The woman seemed pleased by his answer, excusing him from the classroom. Ryuji bowed, pretending the apology didn’t feel bitter on his tongue from his own annoyance, “Thank you, Sensei.”

The woman hummed, nodding thankfully, “Good, I would hate for such a good student like you to become like that Okumura Boy.”

The words were mumbled beneath the woman’s breath, obviously not meant for Ryuji’s ears. He guessed it was one of the cons of having amazing hearing, “Excuse me?”

The woman looked up, shock and confusion on her face, “Is everything alright?”

Ryuji could feel his eye tick, jaw clenching tightly as he turned, “Next time you want to talk shit about Okumura, or any of your students, I suggest rethinking your career choice.”

Ryuji didn’t care that the woman flinched at his dark tone, he simply marched from the room with his chin held high. Shima and Konekomaru scampered after him when they realized he wasn’t stopping, “Man, that was brutal! What’d she say to make you say that?” Shima exclaimed loudly, widening his steps to keep pace while Konekomaru had to pretty much run to keep up with Ryuji’s pace.

The Phoenix was tempted to strap Konekomaru on a skateboard and pull him along. Just the thought made his laugh slightly, earning himself a concerned pinch of the brows from Shima. Ryuji shook his head, “It’s not important,” Ryuji mumbled, brushing Shima’s questioning look, “All I meant is she should be nicer to people, especially her students.”

Shima blinked, head tilting side to side as if juggling the words in his head would help him understand better. Ryuji was a moment away from teasing Shima about it, only for the words to die on his tongue when Konekomaru shouted and annoyed, “That’s it!” And jump onto Ryuji’s back, arms hooking over the Phoenix’s shoulders, “I can’t keep up with you giants!”

Ryuji snorted, eyes rolling at his shorter friend’s antiques.

The trio walked in silence until Konekomaru spoke up, his grip on Ryuji’s shoulders tightened, “Why didn’t you talk to us? Do you not trust us or something?”

Ryuji stalled, slowing to a stop. Konekomaru jumped from his perch on Ryuji’s back, circling around to look Ryuji in the face. The boy’s lips parted in surprise, making it obvious Ryuji’s face betrayed the pain and guilt eating away at his mind, “It’s not that, I just….I….um….”

For once in a long time, Ryuji found he had no idea what to say. He’d been hiding his cutting from his friends because that wasn’t something you just went around flaunting. He also never wanted to worry them with his problems, especially since there was already enough to worry about regarding the temple.

Ryuji wanted to deny Konekomaru’s words. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them! I was just that….he didn’t trust them. At least not enough

The Phoenix wilted for a moment before remembering  _ why _ he didn’t fully trust his friends. He’d asked them countless times what they would do if he was a demon. Obviously not outright saying, usually something along the lines of there being an accident and he, or someone else they were close to, became one. 

Their answer was always the same. They would find a way to destroy the demon, their  _ friend _ . The worst part was they answered without missing a beat every time!

With that in mind, Ryuji turned his head away, “I’ve gotta get to class. I’ll see you later.”

The two monks looked pained from his response but made no move to follow. 

Needless to say, Ryuji’s anxiety took place of the guilt and was happily going to work at making Ryuji feel like absolute shit. 

The remaining classes for high school went about as well as his English class, though he did make an effort to at least take notes. Thankfully, no teacher pointed out how spacy he was being, so that was a plus. 

Any class he shared with Shima or Konekomaru resulted in Ryuji receiving the side-eye from them, which only served to make him feel uneasy.

He didn’t have any way to dial back his hearing, which created a constant ringing in his ears if he wasn’t careful, and he was being watched constantly. Could this get any worse?

Oh, wait! He was telling Rin what he was tomorrow. Yippee.

It was like the gods hated him because the moment he stepped into the Cram School he was hit with the overwhelming scent of Mephisto’s perfume. 

Ryuji scanned the room in search of the clown, finding him perched on the teacher’s, twirling his umbrella around lazily. Ryuji was going to ignore him until his eyes landed on a head of slate gray hair leaning against the chalkboard. 

The Phoenix froze in the doorway, Shima running headfirst into his back. Ryuji was vaguely aware of the pinkette asking if he was alright, but he paid no mind. How could he, he was too focussed on the  _ Kharsatȧ _ , Rogue, smirking at him. 

By some miracle, Ryuji managed to kick his legs into gear, forcing himself to relax and act unfazed as he walked to his desk. He’d had years of practice as a  _ Medjay _ to learn so many styles of fighting, weapon use, and deceit, just to name a few. Lying was nothing new, hell it was practically second nature to Ryuji at this point!

Shima and Konekomaru took their seats behind him, murmuring questions about the two men at the front of the room, “What is the headmaster doing here?”

Ryuji shrugged, not taking his eyes off Rash as the man picked food from between his teeth. The Phoenix wrinkled his nose, too focussed to notice when Rin walked up to him.

It took the raven tapping his shoulder to gain his attention, startling him from glaring down Rash. Ryuji jumped slightly, preparing to flick the dagger settled safely in his sleeve to his hand. He only paused when his eyes locked on bright blue orbs. 

Ryuji sighed, relaxing as he raised a questioning brow to the boy, “Can I sit here? I wanna talk.”

The Phoenix nodded slowly, shifting to give Rin more room on the bench. Rin grinned widely, sliding into the seat, completely oblivious to the way Shima snickered from behind him. Ryuji peered at Rin curiously, watching as he clipped his hair back in that ridiculously adorable way. Ryuji mentally kicked himself at the thought.

Up front, Rash moved closer to Mephisto, murmuring to the eccentric man, “What’s that boy’s name again?” It was obvious Rash didn’t think any of them could hear his low voice from where they sat. This guy is such an idiot, Ryuji thought, eyes rolling.

Mephisto hummed, “Which one?”

“Mohawk over there. The fake Egyptian,” Ryuji had half a mind to launch forward and sock the men in the face. Mephisto for telling Rash what he was, or what he  _ thought _ he was, and Rash thinking he was nothing but a faker. It wasn’t a common term, most people just referred to people as Mortals or Turners. 

Ryuji was pulled from his anger-driven thoughts by the feel of Rin’s lips close to his ear, “Thanks for last night on the roof, you got me out of some bad situations,” Rin’s voice, although breathy, rang in his ears. His breath tickled Ryuji’s skin, painting a flush across his face and ears.

Ryuji jumped, skittering away from the raven, “ _ Entu-entuten ȧm mar ȧtḥu tefa ḳes _ !” You-you don’t have to get that close! Rin blinked in surprise, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

Behind him, Konekomaru chided gently, “Japanese, Bon. He doesn’t know what you mean,” While Shima cooed at the two, wiggling his eyebrows.

Ryuji swallow thickly, taking a moment to get his brain to form Japanese words, “You didn’t have to get so close, ya know.”

Rin blinked before chuckling shyly, a light blush painting his features as he rubbed the back of his neck, “My bad!” His blue eyes darted to Konekomaru and Shima, clearly conveying that he was trying to keep the words between the two of them without eavesdroppers overhearing, “I just wanted to thank you for your help.”

Although Rin’s voice was still low, both Shima and Konekomaru raised their brows, obviously intrigued, “So,” Shima hummed, voice playful and suggestive, “What did you  _ help _ him with?”

Ryuji expected Konekomaru to either join in or scold Shima, but the bald monk stayed silent, curious brown eyes watching the two. Ryuji growled, crossing his arms and turning away, “It’s none of your  _ setheken _ buisness!”

Shima cackled, “Come on, Bon. Don’t be embarrassed about helping your friend with a little problem. Or, maybe it was a big one?”

Ryuji whipped around, hands planted on the desk behind him, “ _ Shima! Ḥepṭ-re p setheken khenȧ! _ ” Shut the fuck up! 

Shima cackled, “No can do,  _ Sefi ḥun _ !” 

Ryuji’s eye twitched at the use of the nickname his mother used on a regular basis. Konekomaru’s brows furrowed, turning to the pinkette, “Do you even know what that means, Shima?”

“Not a clue,” The boy shrugged, snickering as Ryuji’s eye continued to twitch, “All I know is it drives him nuts.”

Ryuji grumbled, turning back around in an attempt to ignore Shima. Rin was looking between the two rapidly. Ryuji took notice of the terrified look in those blue eyes from his outburst. The Phoenix sighed, resting a hand against his cheek, “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya.”

Rin blinked, leaning forward to get a better look at Ryuji’s face. Ryuji sat still, wondering silently what the boy was doing before he broke out into a wide grin, “It’s alright, you just surprised me!”

Ryuji quirked his lips, he couldn’t help but think Rin wasn’t being totally truthful. Although, neither was Ryuji, so he had no excuse to make sure. That didn’t stop him though, “You sure?”

“Yup!” Rin’s smile widened, flashing sharp canine. Ryuji noticed that the rest of Rin’s teeth were completely normal. His molars weren’t replaced with sharp fangs like Ryuji, and he didn’t have a small canine in front of his already sharper set. 

Strangely, Ryuji found he was a little... _ disappointed _ by that. Rin could easily explain the sharpness of his fangs away by them just being like that. It wasn’t unheard of for mortals to have sharper canines than others. Ryuji couldn’t do that so easily. He would hide smiles and laughter behind his hands, or just clench his jaw to stop himself from smiling altogether.

Rin, completely oblivious to Ryuji’s eyes on him, gnawed on the end of his pen, “So, we're still gonna help me study tomorrow?”

Ryuji cocked his head to the side, wondering just what the hell Rin was...oh. So, that’s what Rin was calling it. Must be a way to sneak away from his brother without drawing too much attention, “Sure thing.”

Rin sat up a little, mouth opening to answer with a slight smile on his face, when Mephisto jumped on top of the desk, bowing dramatically, “Good afternoon, students!”

The attention of the entire room snapped to the front. Yukio was standing to the side of the desk, closest to the door. He obviously didn’t seem pleased about Mephisto on the desk, or Rash being present at all, “ _ Tefa ȧru uā-ki ka em n _ ,” That makes two of us. Ryuji grumbled under his breath.

Mephisto continued, jumping down from his perch, “Gather ‘round students! I have a surprise!”

Great. A surprise was never good, especially from Mephisto. Hesitantly, the class wandered to the front. Ryuji remained towards the back of the group with Yamada, leaning against the front-most desk. 

Ryuji could feel Yamada’s eyes on him but ignored her without a thought.

Mephisto smiled wider, something Ryuji relay wished he wouldn’t do. He seemed pleased that everyone was so close as he announced, with a flare of his cape, “Your results from the Exwire Exam have been decided.”

The entire group waited with bated breaths. Ryuji crossed his fingers, murmuring the same words over and over, “ _ Hart-ȧb sennȧu, hart-ȧb sennȧu! _ ” Please fail, please fail!

Ryuji knew the thought was hopeless. Even if he  _ did _ fail the exam, Mephisto would twist his results and force him to stay at the academy. There was no way Mephisto would let him off that easily, especially after their conversation after the exam. 

Still, it didn’t hurt to hope.

Ryuji’s heart dropped when Mephisto’s fingers snapped after reciting his usual, “Eins, Zwei, Drei!” Behind the demon was a horrendously pink banner with “ _ Congratulations! _ ” written all over in bubble gum pink, “You all passed with flying colors!”

Cheers went up around the room, but Ryuji couldn’t even bring it in himself to pretend to be happy, at least for a few moments. Pushing a tight-lipped smile onto his face, he wandered forward, wrapping an arm around an overjoyed Konekomaru. Rin joined in, bouncing up and down, slinging a lean arm across Ryuji’s back with a bright smile, “We did it!!!”

Rin sounded so happy, his face lit up like a Christmas tree as he seemed to ooze excitement. It seemed Rin’s smile was infectious because Ryuji found it harder and harder to fight off a wide smile from cracking his features.

Deep down, Ryuji hoped Rin would not turn on him tomorrow, because he had no idea what he’d do if the boy did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I pulled this chapter from the depths of nothingness cause I just want Ryuji to tELL RIN!!!!
> 
> Also, I completely forgot Rash....existed?! I just remembered when going back through and saw him and was like "Shit, who da fuck is you?"
> 
> Side note: If you wanna know what I use to translate Ancient Egyptian, you can find the 5oo+ page online dictionary here! ---> https://archive.org/stream/hieroglyphicvoca00budg#page/n11/mode/2up


	22. Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter you've all been waiting for!!!!! But, it doesn't go as planned.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is 2am and I'm tired, but I don't care cause y'all need your chapter!

After the should-have-been joyful announcement of passing the Exwire exam, something he would have been bouncing off the walls with excitement for had it been a mere month ago, Mephisto gave them the rest of the day off and took them to a Mochi stand.

While it was nice to eat out and  _ not _ have to pay, hearing Mephisto talk over the phone to Amaimon, a freaking demon king, and ordering to come to True Cross squashed the teen’s appetite easily. 

Rin, who sat across from him, did manage to cheer him up by sticking his tongue out at Mephisto and devouring his food in a single bite. 

The remainder of the afternoon, and the better part of the next day, was spent studying as Ryuji attempted to distract himself from the inevitable meeting with Rin. Something he could have avoided had he kept his freaking mouth  _ shut _ !

Ryuji grumbled, slowly making his way to the fountain in the courtyard to meet Rin. The boy had practically sprinted out of their Magic Circles class, which was very awkward because Neuhaus wouldn’t stop glaring at Rin. 

The man limped around the room for the duration of the class, clutching the self-inflicted wound on his arm and the deep claw marks marring his face, both of which had been wrapped securely but still stank of blood. He looked more pissed than in pain, so Ryuji made sure to avoid him and stick with Rin when he could. The raven looked thankful for the help, otherwise, their teacher might have attacked him out of sheer anger. 

Ryuji vaguely wondered why Neuhaus hadn’t taken a few days off to rest and heal, also to keep him from murdering someone.

Thankfully, Rin sprinting from the room after class didn’t raise any questions, not even when Ryuji trudged after him slowly in an attempt to delay the soon-to-follow chaos of their promised meeting. Ryuji wondered if it was too late to chicken out, but he was never one to break a promise. 

Ryuji peeked into the courtyard, there were a few students lounging around, talking to friends and studying. Rin was easy enough to spot. He was sitting on the highest tier of the fountain, legs swinging boredly, even though he had probably only been waiting a few minutes. 

Carefully, Ryuji made his way over to the demon boy, praying that  _ Shai _ was on his side as he approached the fountain. Rin was, surprisingly, oblivious to his presence until Ryuji was standing in front of him on the lowest tier.

Rin seemed to be spacing out, nose and brows scrunched in thought. Ryuji hummed, reaching up and tapping Rin on the knee to grab his attention. Rin yelped, practically jumping out of his skin. His eyes looked...fearful. 

Ryuji tilted his head to the side curiously as Rin’s bright blue eyes landed on him. Releasing a breath of relief, for reasons unknown to Ryuji, Rin hopped down onto the same level as Ryuji. Beaming up at him, Rin spoke, keeping his voice low as if he was sharing a deadly secret, “So we can talk now? I mean, it’s not that private here, but whatever.”

“Nah, I’m just bringing you somewhere private. Then we can talk,” Ryuji failed to keep the amusement from his voice, especially when Rin’s head cocked to the side in a silent question. The Phoenix chuckled, jutting his chin to the exit before jumping down from the fountain, “Come with me.”

Rin worried at his lip before hesitantly jumping down and following Ryuji. The former stayed relatively silent for a long while, something Ryuji hadn’t expected. He wasn’t sure if he liked this better than what he’d imagined, Rin firing questions at random before ultimately running away when he discovered Ryuji’s secret. 

Now that he thought of it, he did  _ not _ like the silence. It was uncomfortable and allowed his thoughts to wander, “You’re allowed to talk, y’know.”

Rin blinked at him owlishly, twisting the strap of his school bag, “I’m just nervous,” His voice was small, hesitant, as if he expected Ryuji to yell at him for admitting the truth.

Ryuji simply nodded, offering a gentle tilt of his lips, “Me too.”

“Really?” Rin darted in front of Ryuji, walking along the sidewalk backward. Ryuji wondered if he’d have to catch the boy before he ran into something, “But you’re the one who suggested it!”

“Doesn’t mean I’m not scared,” Rin stumbled slightly, causing Ryuji to reach forward and grab him by his tie to keep him from falling, “Watch where you’re going,  _ Āānāu _ .”

Rin regained his balance with ease, dusting himself off despite having not fallen, and completely ignoring Ryuji’s name-calling (although Rin had no clue what it meant), “Thanks, Suguro!” 

The Phoenix simply shrugged, continuing toward the barrier Norbert had been left to guard. If, no, when this all went south, Ryuji would have to take down the barrier and put one up somewhere else. Along with taking part in a lot of deception and avoiding, he might even have to wipe some of Rin’s memories. Just the thought of casting that spell again made him sick.

Rin poked Ryuji cautiously, “So, I kinda told Yukio that we’re studying. He wouldn’t have let me out of the dorm if I didn’t give a good excuse,” Ryuji’s brows pinched. He hadn’t realized Yukio was so protective of his brother, although with Rin being a demon, it made sense that he would want to protect Rin from Exorcists that might want to harm him, “You wouldn’t mind if you helped me with my homework a bit, would you?”

Ryuji thought about it for a moment. He didn’t want to make a promise and break it when Rin learned the truth of Ryuji’s heritage, but he also wanted to hope, “If all goes well, sure. I’ll help you.”

Rin perked up immediately, practically bouncing on his feet, “Really?!” His voice was loud and Ryuji couldn’t conceal his winced fast enough, rubbing at his ear. Rin hadn’t noticed, too busy doing a little victory dance complete with multiple fist pumps.

“Sure, why not?”

“You’re the best, Suguro! Not even Yukio gives me the time of day to help me study!” Ryuji must have made a face because Rin quickly added, “Since he’s too busy with lesson plans and exorcisms and….yeah.”

Ryuji blinked a few times, “O...kay?” It must have just been him, but Rin didn’t sound convinced. As much as he wanted to pry, it wasn’t any of his business so he kept his mouth shut.  
The awkward silence stayed silent for a minute before Rin started rambling nervously, obviously on edge. He was practically an open book, easy to read and hard to ignore.

Rin skipped along at his side, trying to keep up with Ryuji’s longer strides. Rin managed to trip over a protruding root when they made it to the forested area surrounding the barrier. Ryuji didn’t catch him that time, but he did snicker behind his hand at Rin’s disgruntled expression. Rin whacked him in the arm, a grumpy pout set on his lips. 

Surprisingly, Rin did not trip again, although he did come close to running into a tree due to being distracted by talking up a storm, one Ryuji had difficulty keeping up with.

Rin’s rambling quieted when Ryuji stopped in his tracks, a mere step away from the edge of the barrier. He could hear Norbert scampering around in the canopy, probably scrambling to greet Ryuji, “Why’d you stop?”

Ryuji sighed, “We’re here.”

Rin glanced around before looking at Ryuji like he’d grown a second head, “You brought me to the middle of a forest to tell me a secret?” Ryuji nodded slowly, oblivious to where this was going, “Is your secret that you're a serial killer or something?” Rin deadpanned, head tilted to the side and arms crossed. Ryuji couldn’t tell if the boy was being serious or joking. He looked unusually devoid of emotion, almost unreadable.  _ Almost _ . 

There was the slightest twitch, almost concealed by Rin’s messy locks, revealing his clenched jaw and the way he leaned back ever so slightly, ready to run, “No, I’m not a serial killer, Okumura. And I didn’t bring you here to hurt you,” Rin narrowed his eyes skeptically, “This secret….it isn’t just mine, so I have to be extremely careful. Also, I don’t want exorcists to kill me.”

Rin flinched, most of the tension leaving his body, “Wha-?”

“You can back out if you want, I won’t judge. I’ll wait in there,” Ryuji gestured to the clearing they stood outside of. Ryuji sighed, stepping into the barrier and disappearing from Rin’s sight. 

Norbert dove at the Phoenix with an excited chirp almost immediately. Ryuji tossed his bag aside and caught the tiny dragon, “ _ Ȧy, khenemes. Entuten ḳer hbai ist anuk ben minȧ? _ ” Hey, bud. Did you have fun while I was gone? Norbert simply huffed, flopping onto his back with a whine, “ _ Aw, sut ȧtet ḳer tefa ȧqeṭs! _ ” Aw, It couldn’t have been that bad!

Norbert whined louder, tail swishing irritably. Ryuji chuckled, scratching Norbert’s belly as he watched Rin, waiting for him to do something. Currently, the raven was staring open-mouthed at the spot Ryuji had disappeared.

“ _ Bȧau peti nef merrt ȧr _ ,” Wonder what he’ll do, Ryuji murmured, earning a curious  _ merp _ from Norbert as he rolled over to glance at Rin. The Dragon seemed uninterested, at least until Rin reached forward, hand swiping through the barrier. Rin shuddered, obviously new to the feeling of magic.

Norbert snarled, the spines along his back, which usually flattened against his back, flared up, as did his scales. The way his scales poofed up reminded Ryuji of a cat’s fur or a Phoenix's wings. 

Ryuji gently stroked Norbert’s back to flatten his scales to no avail. Rin swiped at the barrier multiple times, each earned an outraged snarl from Norbert and a threatening flap of his tiny wings. 

Ryuji was worried Rin might have gone into shock from his lack of any response, at least until the raven screeched, “HOLY FUCKING SHIT!”

Norbert paused, head cocking to the side, blinking his violet eyes before looking up at Ryuji for an answer to an unspoken question. Ryuji chuckled, “ _ Ȧuna nehhu ḳer meṭu nef ȧr ḳert nefa kat _ ,” Probably should have told him how this works, He gestured to the barrier.

On the other side, Rin hummed, inspecting his hand carefully, “Well, my hand hasn’t disintegrated yet, so I guess it’s safe.”

Ryuji cackled, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. That was both the worst and best mindset Ryuji could think of, and the only reason it was also the best was thats  _ exactly _ how Ryuji tested if something was safe. 

Rin held his breath, stepping through the barrier with his eyes closed tight. Ryuji watched with poorly disguised amusement as Rin stood, unmoving within the barrier, eyes clasped tight, for several moments.

Ryuji assumed that the only reason he ever looked up was due to Norbert snarling, launching his small body at Rin. Because all the  _ Shabti _ knew was someone was intruding in the Barrier he was supposed to protect. 

Rin startled, yelping and dodging out of the way as Norbert dive-bombed him, growling furiously. Ryuji managed to snatch the dragon in the middle of his second dive, pulling him away from Rin. The Phoenix paid little to no mind at Rin freaking out about being in “a magic snow globe” and “Mushu with wings trying to kill him,” instead, he focussed on calming the  _ Shabti _ . 

“ _ Si neferu, nef ṭāṭā ḥer ȧu ȧr _ ,” It’s alright, he’s allowed in for the time being. Ryuji stroked Norbert’s lean body, flattening the scales that had puffed out in an attempt to make himself appear larger. Norbert glanced hauntingly at Rin, whining at the order to not do his job….again.

“ _ Anuk mer ȧb, ḳert neti nef ȧu ȧr. Entuten merrt ȧuna unen seshai ḥeru nef er ḥer nefa peni hėr-sȧ _ ,” Ryuji grumbled the last part to himself, but Norbert still perked up. Huffing, obviously pleased with Ryuji’s words. I’m sorry, but trust him for now. You’ll probably get to scare him off later anyway.

Ryuji watched as the dragon glided over to Rin, more gentle than before. Rin hesitantly stood still, looking like he couldn’t decide whether to run or standstill. 

Norbert hovered before Rin’s face, flashing his razor-sharp teeth in an attempt to smile. Rin flinched, but Norbert still leaned forward and nipped Rin’s nose with a satisfying chirp.

“ _ Norbert! _ ” The dragon chittered, pleased with himself as he flew over to perch on Ryuji’s head, messing the teen’s hair as he got comfortable. 

Rin slowly stepped forward, watching the  _ Shabti _ cautiously, “What, the  _ fuck _ is that?”

“If this goes well, I’ll explain,” Ryuji ran his tongue along his fanged teeth. 

Rin’s cerulean eyes narrowed, lips pursing as his arms crossed. Ryuji couldn’t help but think the expression was kind of….adorable. Rin’s eyes quickly darted to the side, lean fingers fiddling with the hem of his school jacket, “So….do you wanna go first, or should I?”

The Phoenix should have been prepared for that, but he wasn’t. Despite knowing exactly  _ why _ they were coming here, he was still doubtful about this whole thing. 

Ryuji’s silence must have spoken volumes seeing as Rin sighed, gnawing at his lip, “I guess you already know, so I should just rip off the duct tape.”

“D’you mean bandaid?”

“Have you ever tried ripping duct tape off your arm? It’s  _ way _ worse than taking off a bandaid!” Rin’s outburst seemed to ease the tension. It was just so  _ Rin _ to say something like that. A small giggle escaped Ryuji’s lips, the Phoenix brought his hand up to cover his mouth, too afraid to show off his teeth to anyone, even Rin. 

Rin blinked, seeming to find this as good a time as any to show off his tail. Maybe the lighter attitude would help. 

Slowly, Rin unwound his tail from around his torso, allowing it to stretch and swish around to loosen the muscles. Ryuji noticed immediately, eyes darting to the appendage. Rin stiffened, probably waiting for Ryuji to call him something or yell at him, but Ryuji could only focus on one thing, “When’s the last time you brushed your tail?”

“Huh?”

“Dude, that’s gotta hurt! Hell, it hurts just looking at the knots!” Maybe the state of Rin’s tail was something weird to focus on, but there was no way those knots felt good. At least for Phoenix, their tails were super sensitive and even knots could cause pain. Imagine taking a ponytail out after a while, kinda like that but a little worse considering the placement. 

Rin gawked at him, tail going rigid and puffing up defensively, “I have a tail and  _ that’s _ what you’re worried about!?”

“Well, yeah?” Ryuji hummed, gesturing to Rin’s twitching appendage, “I know how much it sucks when you don’t brush your tail.”

“You have a tail?!” Rin shrieked.

“Yeah, I thought you already knew that.”

“Yes,” Rin threw his hands in the air, “but I didn’t expect to be  _ right _ !”

Ryuji chuckled, shaking his head with amusement. Slowly, the smile disappeared from his face, “I….guess it’s my turn, huh?”

Rin raised his brows, crossing his arms expectantly, “I ain’t gonna be the only one outing themself today, so yes.”

Slowly, with great care, Ryuji allowed the coiled stalks of his tail to unwind from around his torso. Ryuji watched Rin with a wary eye. The boy was gaping, and his jaw only dropped further when Ryuji unraveled his tail-stalks from the rope-braid-resembling way he twisted them to talk up less space on his torso. 

Rin blanched, blinking dully at the three stalks now stretching in a similar manner to the way Rin did before. Although he hadn’t had the chance to properly care for his tail, it was  _ definitely  _ not as knotted as Rin’s.

Rin took a deep breath, his voice was low, disbelieving, “You have…. _ three tails _ ?!”

Ryuji corrected him without even thinking, smoothing out some of the displaced fur along his tail-stalks, “No, I have one tail with three stalks.”

“But-” Ryuji turned to the side, keeping Rin in his peripherals while also showing the boy the base of his tail where the stalks joined together in a single, thick base, “Oh,” Rin still didn’t sound like he completely understood, but was willing to accept Ryuji’s answer. 

“So,” Rin drawled, fiddling with his fingers, “Is that all? We came here to show each other our tails, that’s it?” Ryuji could hear a vague, “I thought he had feathers,” murmured under Rin’s breath.

Ryuji could get out of this. He could get away with only showing his tail, not his true appearance. However, some part of him screamed at him to tell Rin the truth for whatever reason, “Not exactly,” Dammit! There goes his way out.

Rin perked up, head cocked to the side in clear confusion, “Huh?”

Ryuji plucked Norbert off his head. The  _ Shabti _ whined but scampered across the grass to a low-hanging branch where he could watch everything. With great care, Ryuji removed his shirt and jacket, fully aware his scars were now on full display. 

He was about to let his glamour ebb away when Rin shrieked, face as red as a cherry, “Dude, what the fuck?! Is this a striptease or something?!”

Ryuji bristled, holding the clothes to his chest, “The hell you goin’ on about?! I just don’t want them to get ripped! Is that so wrong?”

Rin froze, slowly leaning away, as if getting further away would give him the answers, “Why would your shirt get ripped?”

Knowing he couldn’t hold it off any longer, Ryuji tossed his shirt and school jacket in the general direction of his school bag. He didn’t care about neatness at the moment, only the impending doom that was sure to follow. 

As the magic seeped away, Ryuji couldn’t help but feel like it was a warm blanket being ripped from him. He’d never felt this way about losing his glamour, always too happy to shed it away whenever he got the chance. Now was not one of those times. 

Ryuji knew his true appearance was showing when Rin gasped, the crunch of the grass beneath the demon’s feet revealing the way he stepped back. Ryuji slowly opened his eyes, perfectly aware of them being full gold. His long feathered ears and huge wings wilted slightly at Rin’s terror-filled face, tails twitching in fear, revealing how badly Ryuji wanted to run away. 

Rin backed away, getting closer and closer to the barrier, “I-I think….I should go,” Without another word, Rin turned a sprinted from the barrier, disappearing through the trees in a fleeing frenzy. 

The reality of what happened took a long moment to sink in, but when it did, it hit him like a truck. 

Ryuji sunk to his knees. Norbert immediately swooped down to reassuringly rub against his jaw the moment tears streamed down his cheeks. Ryuji just made the worst decision of his life, and now, not only was he in danger, but so was his mother, Rie, and the whole of their kind.

Despite having been scared shitless of this whole situation, and knowing it’d go wrong, Ryuji still held a minuscule amount of hope that maybe, just  _ maybe _ , Rin would be on his side. Especially since he himself was a demon as well. 

Norbert whimpered, feeding off Ryuji's emotions, and began bawling himself. 

Ryuji tried to console the dragon, but it only served to make things worse. The Phoenix grabbed at one of his feathery wings, burying his face into the feathers and screaming in frustration into the appendage, “ _ Ȧqeset p setheken entuten ȧrit?!  _ You knew this would happen! _ Entuten enti rekh! Anuk ȧti rekh ȧb entuten  _ do this!” What the fuck were you thinking?! You’re such a moron! I can’t believe you’d do this!

The only thing that brought Ryuji scolding himself was a soft, but amused, “Did I come at a bad time?”

Ryuji squawked, skittering away in surprise, only to blanch when Rin stood before him, looking apologetic as he clung to his school bag. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just though y'all should know, I started using another dictionary platform as well for Ancient Egyptian. You can find it here: https://seshkemet.weebly.com/dictionary.html 
> 
> Also, Āānāu translates to "Monkey" or "Ape" for anyone who was wondering.
> 
> Also, this (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fguycounseling.com%2Famber-eyes-golden-color%2F&psig=AOvVaw1V7u6aY1fNenD24v9gVvjI&ust=1613019863854000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCIj886rG3u4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD) is how I imagine Ryuji's eyes. 
> 
> And these (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.freepik.com%2Ffree-photo%2Forange-wings-vector_610534.htm&psig=AOvVaw0SxcPCruYywNfjIQignQpS&ust=1613020010240000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCIj03_rF3u4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD) are his wings!
> 
> Pics ain't mine!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> I procrastinated writing my actual book so I substituted them for these characters and this is where it got me


End file.
